The South Korean Cabinet approved a motion Tuesday calling for the dispatch of some 500 troops to the Philippines to help with relief efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan.

Last week, Seoul announced plans to send troops comprised of doctors, engineers and other supporting forces to Tacloban, the city hit hardest by the typhoon.

Under the motion, the troops will be tasked with carrying out relief missions and providing humanitarian support in the affected areas.

Up to 540 troops will operate in the Philippines between next month and December 2014 under the command of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Choi Yun-hee.

The plan is still subject to parliamentary approval.

In a related move, the finance ministry said that it is in talks with the Philippine government to provide $500 million in low interest loans aimed at helping people in regions devastated by the typhoon.

The loans, if agreed, would be offered through the economic development cooperation fund (EDCF) program that the Seoul government launched to help other developing countries with construction of basic infrastructure, it added. (Yonhap News)