Why U.S. Forces Korea Commander Called South Korea a ‘Dagger’

U.S. Forces Korea commander Xavier Brunson said his remark that \”Korea is a dagger from China’s perspective\” was intended to explain the operational environment U.S. forces face, not to provoke China.

Yonhap News Agency reported on the 30th that Brunson made the comment at the 23rd Asia Security Conference (Shangri‑La Dialogue) in Singapore while answering a question about whether his \”dagger\” remark reflected the official position of the Donald Trump administration or had Pentagon approval.

A Chinese professor in the audience posed the question during the Q&A after a public speech by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses. Secretary Hegses then deferred the question to Brunson, who was seated in the audience.

Brunson said he had been addressing students at the War College to urge them to shift their perspective and consider the position they occupy. He added that students should understand and respect viewpoints other than their own.

Using a map rotated so the peninsula’s east appears at the top as an example, he said that changing how we view the map helps us consider how other countries in the region see us. He stressed that while we must remain strong and sustain military capabilities in South Korea, we should also recognize that those foreign perspectives persist.

Brunson recalled that a Prussian military thinker once described Korea as a dagger aimed at Japan, referring to Major Jakob Meckel of the Prussian Army, who in 1885—while serving as a military advisor to Japan—characterized the Korean Peninsula as a dagger pointed at the heart of Japan.

Brunson emphasized he did not intend to antagonize China with his remark. He said U.S.-China relations should not be viewed in binary terms and called for continued dialogue.