On the 5th, The New York Times cited multiple current and former military officials in an extensive report, revealing that the US Navy SEALs, with then-President Trump’s approval, secretly conducted a mission to install electronic bugging equipment in North Korea in early 2019. However, Pyongyang got wind of the operation, and US forces encountered North Korean boats at the shore. After shooting the crew, the SEALs left, and the mission failed.
On a winter night in early 2019, members of the US Navy SEALs surfaced in North Korean waters, stealthily approaching the shore to install electronic surveillance equipment. Had the operation succeeded, the US would have been able to intercept the top leader Kim Jong Un's communications.
This was a top-level, extremely complex, and high-consequence covert mission that allowed no room for error.
At the time, President Trump, in his first term, was about to hold a summit with Kim Jong Un. The SEALs' operation gave the US a chance to obtain highly valuable secrets. However, the commandos had to step onto North Korean soil, and if their cover was blown, not only would the summit be called off, it could also trigger a hostage crisis and heighten tensions between two nuclear-armed nations. The mission was so high-risk that it required presidential authorization.
The mission was executed by SEAL Team Six's Red Squadron—the same unit that hunted down 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden. The assault team trained for months, understanding the operation needed absolute precision. But that night, clad in diving dry suits and night vision goggles, the special operatives encountered a North Korean vessel with its searchlight glaring brightly.
To avoid detection, the SEALs opened fire, killing all personnel on the boat within seconds. The commandos failed to install the surveillance equipment and slipped back into the water, leaving the shore.
This operation remains top secret and had never been disclosed before. Neither the US nor North Korea ever hinted at the incident; at the time, the Trump administration also did not brief those in Congress overseeing covert operations. The NYT is the first outlet to report it, and noted that the White House did not inform Congress of a potential legal violation. The White House did not respond to the NYT’s reporting.
The NYT spoke to more than 20 American civilians, former Trump administration officials, and informed current and former military personnel. Due to the highly classified nature of the operation, all spoke anonymously.
The NYT stressed it exercised caution when reporting on the covert military operation and retains sensitive details of the mission; releasing this information could affect future intelligence gathering and special operations.
For decades, the US has tried to court North Korea and control Pyongyang’s nuclear program, but efforts at improving relations or tightening economic sanctions have failed. The SEALs’ mission was one of several US operations targeting North Korea, but it remains unclear how Pyongyang learned of the US’s 2019 covert operation. (Source: Central News Agency)