Overview
- Gen. Xavier Brunson urges planners to rotate Indo-Pacific maps to an east-up view that shows U.S. troops in South Korea already inside the defensive perimeter rather than distant trip wires.
- His essay highlights a strategic triangle linking South Korea, Japan and the Philippines to create an integrated network for situational awareness and coordinated responses.
- Brunson cites Camp Humphreys’ proximity to key cities — about 158 miles to Pyongyang, roughly 612 miles to Beijing and approximately 500 miles to Vladivostok — to argue Korea’s central positioning.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says flexibility for regional contingencies will be considered while reaffirming the mission to deter North Korea and maintain extended nuclear deterrence.
- Coverage notes mixed reactions in South Korea and an editorial linking the framing to rising burden-sharing expectations, including a pledge to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and 47 trillion won for USFK through 2035.