Gen. Xavier T. Brunson, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, has advocated viewing the Indo-Pacific through an 'east-up' map orientation to uncover hidden strategic advantages. This perspective highlights a 'strategic triangle' linking South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, emphasizing the peninsula's pivotal role. Brunson argues it reveals existing force positions as immediate assets against threats from North Korea, China, and Russia.
In an article published on the USFK website on November 17, 2025, Gen. Xavier T. Brunson argued that rotating maps to an east-up orientation transforms understanding of Indo-Pacific geography. Traditional north-up views portray the region as a vast expanse requiring long-range power projection, but the east-up perspective reveals U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula as assets already inside potential adversary defensive perimeters during crises.
Camp Humphreys lies approximately 158 miles from Pyongyang, 612 miles from Beijing, and 500 miles from Vladivostok, positioning it to counter northern threats from Russia and Chinese activities in adjacent waters. Brunson wrote, "This shift in perspective illuminates Korea's role as a natural strategic pivot."
The most notable insight is the 'strategic triangle' of South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. Each vertex offers complementary strengths: Korea's central depth and cost-imposition against Russian and Chinese forces; Japan's technological edge and maritime chokepoints; and the Philippines' southern sea lane access. "When these three mutual defense treaty partners are viewed as vertices of a triangle rather than isolated bilateral relationships, their collective potential becomes clear," Brunson stated.
North Korea condemned the east-up map in July state media as a "map for invasion." Brunson described strategic flexibility as "the currency of readiness," ensuring deterrence extends from the peninsula to the broader Indo-Pacific without shifting focus from Korea. This framework encourages trilateral coordination over bilateral ties, leveraging geographic advantages for enhanced alliance cooperation.