On Sept. 5, 2025, the New York Times reported that U.S. Navy SEALs fatally shot multiple North Korean civilians during a covert 2019 operation to plant a listening device, an action the paper says was approved during then-President Donald Trump’s first term and later deemed justified in a classified Pentagon review.
Key Takeaways
- Report by the New York Times, published Sept. 5, 2025, alleges U.S. special forces killed North Korean civilians in 2019.
- The mission’s stated purpose was to install a listening device inside North Korea amid high-level diplomatic talks.
- The civilians were reportedly diving for shellfish and encountered the SEALs after a nighttime landing.
- The number of casualties was not specified in the reporting and remains unconfirmed.
- A classified Pentagon review is reported to have concluded the killings met the rules of engagement.
- President Donald Trump said he had no prior knowledge when asked about the report.
- Sen. Mark Warner urged congressional oversight in response to the allegations.
Verified Facts
The New York Times published an account on Sept. 5, 2025, saying U.S. Navy SEALs conducted a covert operation inside North Korea in 2019 to place a listening device. The reporting cites unnamed current and former U.S. military officials familiar with classified details.
According to the report, the SEAL detachment made a nighttime landing and encountered civilians who were reportedly diving for shellfish from a small fishing vessel; the Americans opened fire and the civilians were killed. The Times did not give a precise casualty count in its initial account.
The report says a classified Pentagon review later concluded the killings were justified under the applicable rules of engagement. Reuters requested comment from the Pentagon; no immediate response was recorded in the reporting.
Context & Impact
The operation is said to have taken place during 2019, a year marked by high-profile summits between then-President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Those talks have since stalled, and North Korea has continued advancing its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
If confirmed, the episode could heighten congressional and public scrutiny of covert operations near or inside adversary territory, especially those carried out during diplomatic engagements. Lawmakers such as Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called for oversight following the report.
Beyond immediate oversight, the allegations may complicate U.S. messaging on restraint and adherence to international law while conducting clandestine activities in contested regions.
“I don’t know anything about it. I’m hearing it now for the first time,”
Donald J. Trump
Unconfirmed
- The exact number and identities of the civilians killed have not been publicly disclosed.
- Full operational details, including the precise chain of approval and whether President Trump directly authorized the mission or was merely informed, are based on unnamed sources and remain unverified.
- Independent verification from U.S., North Korean, or third-party officials of the on-scene sequence of events is not available in public reporting.
Bottom Line
The New York Times’ account, if accurate, points to a significant and controversial use of force during a sensitive diplomatic period. The classified Pentagon review’s finding of justification does not eliminate political and legal questions that could prompt congressional inquiries and public debate about oversight of clandestine operations.
Further confirmation will depend on declassification, official statements, or corroborating reporting; for now the core facts rest on anonymous sources cited by the Times and subsequent reporting by other outlets.