Lead: A New York Times report says a 2019 Navy SEAL operation, approved by then‑President Donald Trump and carried out near North Korean shores, failed and resulted in the deaths of unarmed North Koreans.
Key Takeaways
- The operation took place in 2019 during the Trump administration and required presidential approval.
- SEAL Team Six’s Red Squadron rehearsed a plan involving a nuclear‑powered submarine and two mini‑submersibles.
- The mission aimed to place an electronic device to monitor communications linked to Kim Jong Un.
- During the action, SEALs opened fire on people in the water; later evidence suggested they were unarmed civilians.
- The report indicates some members of Congress were not briefed in advance.
- The White House and Pentagon have declined to comment on the New York Times report.
Verified Facts
According to the New York Times, the operation occurred in 2019 and required direct approval from President Donald Trump. The plan involved inserting a nuclear‑powered U.S. submarine into North Korean waters and deploying two small SEAL submersibles to bring operators ashore to install a monitoring device.
SEAL Team Six’s Red Squadron reportedly rehearsed the mission for months. The unit, formally established in 1980 and known for high‑risk tasks, has conducted numerous clandestine operations, including the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
During the operation, the Times reports that personnel encountered a North Korean boat and people in the water. The SEALs opened fire; later reporting described the individuals as two or three North Korean civilians diving for shellfish. Those people were killed during the incident.
The Times also reports that the Trump administration did not notify certain members of Congress about the mission beforehand. CNN reached out to the U.S. Special Operations Command and North Korea’s U.N. mission for comment; the White House and Pentagon declined to comment.
Context & Impact
The operation took place amid intermittent diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang. In 2018–2019, President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged summits and letters, with Trump briefly stepping into North Korean territory on June 30, 2019, at the Demilitarized Zone.
A clandestine operation inside or near North Korean waters raises legal, operational and diplomatic questions. If confirmed, the deaths of unarmed civilians could have significant implications for U.S. policy, congressional oversight of covert actions, and relations with regional partners.
Possible impacts include renewed Congressional scrutiny of special operations authorities, questions about target verification procedures in maritime environments, and increased tensions with Pyongyang if North Korea views the action as hostile.
Official Statements
The White House and the Department of Defense declined to comment on the details reported by the New York Times.
White House; U.S. Department of Defense (as reported)
Unconfirmed
- Whether the people shot were definitively civilians diving for shellfish or had any other status — reported evidence suggests civilian activity but is not independently verified in public sources.
- The full extent of who in Congress received advance notice, and which specific oversight channels were used, remains incompletely reported.
Bottom Line
If corroborated, the New York Times account describes a high‑risk covert operation in 2019 that failed to achieve its objective and caused unintended civilian deaths. The report adds urgency to debates about oversight of special operations and the safeguards used to prevent civilian harm during clandestine missions.