SEOUL, South Korea —  South Korea says it will bring home all its remaining troops from Iraq by Dec. 20.

Defense Ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae told reporters Wednesday that South Korea decided to end five years of military deployment in Iraq, because it believes the country's security has become "considerably stable."

Won's office said the withdrawal would affect all 520 army engineers and medics in Iraq and 130 other support personnel in Kuwait.

South Korea has stationed troops in Iraq for a reconstruction mission since 2003 at the request of the United States. Troops levels once reached 3,600, but Seoul gradually has pulled out soldiers amid opposition to the deployment at home.

The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea to help deter aggression from North Korea.