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Commander Brunson: We Need a Change in Perspective… Rethinking How We Read Maps
As controversy spread over the U.S. Forces Korea commander’s remark likening the Korean Peninsula to a “dagger,” Commander Brunson clarified on the 30th that his intent was to describe the operational environment.
He said the comment was not meant as hostility toward China and argued that policymakers should move beyond a binary U.S.-China mindset and pursue dialogue.
According to Yonhap, Brunson made these remarks at the 23rd IISS Asia Security Summit (the Shangri‑La Dialogue) in Singapore when asked whether the “dagger” comment reflected the Trump administration’s official position or had Pentagon approval.
The question had been posed by a Chinese professor in the audience during Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Q&A after his public address, but Hegseth asked Brunson, who was seated in the audience, to respond on his behalf.
Brunson said, “What I intended to tell students at the War College was that we need to change our perspective and consider our position,” adding, “Students should understand and respect perspectives other than our own.”
He cited a map oriented with the peninsula’s east at the top and said, “By changing the map’s orientation, we can better appreciate how other countries in the region view us. We must be strong and maintain military capability in the Republic of Korea, but we also need to recognize that those foreign perspectives persist.”
Brunson recalled that a Prussian military thinker had once described the Korean Peninsula as “a dagger aimed at Japan,” invoking a late‑19th‑century strategic formulation.
He referenced Major Jakob Meckel, a Prussian army officer who served as an advisor to Japan in 1885 and described the peninsula as a dagger pointed at the heart of Japan, to illustrate that the peninsula’s geopolitical significance in the Indo‑Pacific can vary with perspective.
He also expressed the political view that the United States and China should move beyond binary thinking and engage in dialogue.
Referring to the U.S.-China summit in China on the 14th, Brunson said, “The president’s and the secretary’s visit to China was a significant step,” noting that such visits can strengthen channels for dialogue.
“Throughout my service and the secretary’s,” he said, “we have too often thought only in blue‑versus‑red terms. But now there is ‘green’ — an opportunity to talk and to develop our military thinking.”
On a recent U.S. Army War College podcast, Brunson said, “From their view on China’s east coast, what stands out is Korea — a dagger at the heart of Asia — and Japan as a sort of shield, a barrier to ambitions beyond the South China Sea.”
The Chinese Embassy in Seoul strongly protested, saying, “Your remarks clearly crossed a line.”
Amid the ongoing controversy, the South Korean government said it is aware of the situation and has reportedly conveyed concerns through diplomatic channels.
A Blue House official said, “We cannot confirm specific consultations conducted through Korea‑U.S. diplomatic and security channels,” but added, “We are aware of Brunson’s recent public remarks, and officials at various levels on both sides have been communicating on related issues.”
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