Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
ANALYSIS What ‘east-up’ map really means for future role of USFK
A South Korean K1E1 tank crosses a 180-meter joint floating bridge during a combined river-crossing exercise at Segeunso Training Range along the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, March 20. Joint Press Corps
By Bahk Eun-ji
Seoul declines to comment on repositioning, insisting on literal interpretation
The introduction of an “east-up” map by the commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) has stirred fresh debate over whether Washington is positioning itself to expand the mission of American troops stationed on the Korean Peninsula.
Although Gen. Xavier Brunson framed the concept as a tool to improve geographic visualization, experts say the map offers clues as to how the allied posture may evolve — shifting from a South Korea-centric deterrence model to one that situates China and Russia within a broader Indo-Pacific framework.
Brunson recently described South Korea not as a forward outpost on the periphery of American power, but as a “decisive space inside the defensive perimeter.” Analysts say that reframing alters how the peninsula is positioned within the region’s broader strategic landscape.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor and former president of the University of North Korean Studies, said the map signals a shift in how the U.S. positions its forces.
“This is not just a rotated map,” he said. “It shows the U.S. widening the strategic utility of USFK. The east-up view puts the peninsula at the center of an axis that runs through the U.S., China, Russia and North Korea, and it aligns with the emerging security triangle linking the Philippines, Japan and South Korea.”
Retired Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum, former commander of Korea’s Special Warfare Command, noted that the concept is closely tied to Washington’s long-standing emphasis on strategic flexibility.
“Strategic flexibility means USFK can move if a regional threat emerges,” he said. “This is not a new idea — it’s been part of U.S. strategy for years.”
He rejected the notion that prioritizing China means diluting North Korea deterrence.
“That interpretation is wrong. China and North Korea cannot be separated. They share the same operational environment.”
Chun also dismissed concerns that South Korea could be exposed to greater risks.
“The idea that South Korea would become a bullet-catcher is exaggerated,” he said. “If anything, the east-up concept reinforces arguments in the U.S. against reducing troop levels. It helps explain South Korea’s strategic value to the American audience.”
Kim Yeoul-soo, national security director at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said that the concept aligns with broader adjustments to U.S. defense strategies.
“U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth already said at the Security Consultative Meeting that USFK must retain strategic flexibility in order to respond to threats not only on the peninsula, but across the region as well,” he said.
“The map visually shows that South Korea sits at the center of a theater that includes China. It’s not just a symbolic gesture — it reflects how the U.S. now views the Indo-Pacific region.”
Kim added that South Korea’s location gives it leverage over China’s Northern Theater Command and Russia’s Pacific assets.
“If you look at the operational range of the Russian Northern Fleet or China’s northern forces, the peninsula is a decisive point. Their sea and air movements are naturally constrained by geography.”
South Korean defense officials, however, remain cautious regarding the rotated map.
A senior military official said it would be inappropriate for Seoul to comment on specific remarks made by U.S. officials, adding that the map should be interpreted “as the U.S. describes it, nothing more.”
He also stressed that scenarios involving direct confrontation between South Korea and China or Russia are “not realistic” and that Seoul does not endorse interpretations implying a regionwide mission shift.
Despite their differing views, experts agree on one point: The east-up map does not immediately change the mission of the USFK, but it does reflect a wider strategic trend. As the Indo-Pacific security architecture becomes more interconnected, linking Northeast Asia with the Philippines, Guam and Japan, the peninsula’s strategic importance is expected to increase.
The debate over the map is likely to intensify as Washington updates its National Defense Strategy and reevaluates its military presence across the region. Experts say that for now, Brunson’s map has achieved what few conceptual tools have managed to do: place South Korea not on the edge of the map, but at the center of the chessboard.