The commander of United States Forces Korea(USFK) and the Combined Forces Command(CFC) said the need for strategic cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the Philippines is evident when looking at the map of East Asia upside down.

In an article posted on the USFK website, Gen. Xavier Brunson analyzed a map that places the east at the top rather than the north, which USFK uses for educational purposes.

Brunson said the most significant insight from such mapping may be the "emergence of a strategic triangle connecting Korea, Japan and the Philippines," and that the three U.S. mutual defense treaty partners' collective potential becomes clear when viewed as the vertices of a triangle.

When asked by the defense ministry press corps about the advantages of triangular cooperation compared to existing bilateral alliance structures, Brunson said his proposal was "not about forming a new alliance" but about finding practical ways to coordinate based on geographic ties.

He said geometry could help preserve stability across the region while reinforcing the enduring mission, starting on the Korean Peninsula, of credible combined deterrence that keeps aggression, particularly from North Korea, in check.

The commander explained that the three countries have unique advantages—including South Korea's strategic central position, Japan's technological advantage and maritime reach and the Philippines' access to key southern sea lanes.

The comments come amid speculation that Washington may push to realign U.S. troops on the peninsula in response to an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry.