Commentary: Will South Korea be America’s ‘dagger in the heart of Asia’?

BUSAN, South Korea: Xavier Brunson, commander of the United States Forces Korea (USFK), made waves recently when he referred to South Korea as a “dagger in the heart of Asia”. This echoed an earlier comment he made that South Korea looks like a “fixed aircraft carrier” between Japan and China. These comments were implicitly directed toward China, which Beijing picked up on and rebuked. “You refer to the host country as an ‘aircraft carrier’ or a ‘dagger’. Does this demonstrate your belligerence, or do you intend to use other countries as pawns?” an embassy representative said. General Brunson’s military metaphors…