The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) analyzed on the 16th (local time) that North Korea's dispatch of troops to support Russia, which is engaged in war with Ukraine, is a 'strategic mistake' and that 'a large number of personnel are being utilized in a way that leads to their deaths.'
Rob Bauer, NATO Military Committee Chairman (Admiral of the Royal Netherlands Navy), pointed out the language barrier issue at a press conference following the NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium, saying, 'Coordination between Russian and North Korean troops is practically impossible.' He noted that 'about one-third of the approximately 11,000 North Korean troops dispatched to the Kursk region of Russia have been injured or killed.'
Chairman Bauer said, 'North Korea is openly providing weapons to Russia, and Russia is also giving weapons to North Korea,' adding, 'This poses a problem not only for South Korea but also for the United States, which has troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula.' He continued, 'It is surprising that the world's most isolated North Korea has suddenly emerged as a participant in the war, especially considering that not only Russia, needing ammunition and missiles, but also China fundamentally made this possible.'
He also continued his criticism of China. Chairman Bauer stated, 'While China does not provide weapons directly, it actively supports the Russian military-industrial complex,' and added, 'It is unacceptable for China to maintain good relations with the West and support the United Nations charter while simultaneously fueling a war that is underway in Europe.'
Meanwhile, NATO held a defense ministers' meeting from the 15th to the 16th. The meeting was attended by the highest-ranking commanders from the 32 NATO member countries. In South Korea, Son Jeong-hwan, Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Strategic Planning Headquarters (Lieutenant General), attended as the chief representative of 27 partner countries.