NYT report: In 2019, President Trump ordered Navy SEAL mission into North Korea; mission failed, left unarmed North Koreans dead

[essentialsaltes]

A 2019 mission in North Korea, which intended to have Navy SEALs plant an electronic device to intercept communications of the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, resulted in an unsuccessful operation that left unarmed North Koreans dead, according to a report from the New York Times on Friday.

The mission, which took place during President Donald Trump’s first term, required the president’s direct approval, the Times reports, and came amid high-level nuclear talks between the US and North Korea.

The Times reports when a North Korean boat, which evidence later suggested were two or three North Korean civilians diving for shellfish, approached in the water during the operation, the SEALs opened fire and killed them. The report also states the Trump administration did not notify key members of Congress.

 

[Nithavela]

 

[GoldenBoy89]

It’s no wonder the love letters have stopped coming.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Trump says he doesn't know 'anything' about reported violent, failed SEAL Team 6 mission in North Korea​

The Pentagon and U.S. Special Operations Command declined to comment to ABC News about The New York Times report.

"I don't know anything about it. I'm hearing it now for the first time," he responded.

 

[durangodawood]

Youre innocently diving for shellfish or whatever.... and then Seal Team 6 emerges from the inky blackness and shoots you dead.

Life in N Korea sounds hard.

 

[wing2000]

The first Trump administration never disclosed the operation to Congress....either before or after. The NYT's notes:

"President Barack Obama curtailed Special Operations missions late in his second term and increased oversight, reserving complex commando raids for extraordinary situations like hostage rescues.

The first Trump administration reversed many of those restrictions and cut the amount of high-level deliberation for sensitive missions. A few days after taking office in 2017, Mr. Trump skipped over much of the established deliberative process to greenlight a Team 6 raid on a village in Yemen. That mission left 30 villagers and a SEAL dead and destroyed a $75 million aircraft.

When President Joseph R. Biden Jr. succeeded Mr. Trump, the gravity of the North Korea mission attracted renewed scrutiny. Mr. Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III, ordered an independent investigation, conducted by the lieutenant general in charge of the Army inspector general’s office.

In 2021, the Biden administration briefed key members of Congress on the findings, a former government official said.

Those findings remain classified."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/us/navy-seal-north-korea-trump-2019.html?searchResultPosition=6

And now we have the 2nd Trump term. Given Trump's record of not disclosing military operations to Congress - as every other modern day president has done, Congress is today blind as to operations may be already underway.

 

[Richard T]

The first Trump administration never disclosed the operation to Congress....either before or after. The NYT's notes:

"President Barack Obama curtailed Special Operations missions late in his second term and increased oversight, reserving complex commando raids for extraordinary situations like hostage rescues.

The first Trump administration reversed many of those restrictions and cut the amount of high-level deliberation for sensitive missions. A few days after taking office in 2017, Mr. Trump skipped over much of the established deliberative process to greenlight a Team 6 raid on a village in Yemen. That mission left 30 villagers and a SEAL dead and destroyed a $75 million aircraft.

When President Joseph R. Biden Jr. succeeded Mr. Trump, the gravity of the North Korea mission attracted renewed scrutiny. Mr. Biden’s defense secretary, Lloyd J. Austin III, ordered an independent investigation, conducted by the lieutenant general in charge of the Army inspector general’s office.

In 2021, the Biden administration briefed key members of Congress on the findings, a former government official said.

Those findings remain classified."

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/us/navy-seal-north-korea-trump-2019.html?searchResultPosition=6

And now we have the 2nd Trump term. Given Trump's record of not disclosing military operations to Congress - as every other modern day president has done, Congress is today blind as to operations may be already underway.

Reminds of the movie Clear and Present Danger, lots of things happening but no one taking responsibility. I wonder what the USA would do if a Seal team was captured after killing civilians? I doubt we would get them back without force.
I do remember too the secret raid that Carter used to try and get hostages out of Iran. A helicopter went down getting into position and the mission was scrubbed. It made the news fairly quickly. How things have changed.

 

[wing2000]

Reminds of the movie Clear and Present Danger, lots of things happening but no one taking responsibility. I wonder what the USA would do if a Seal team was captured after killing civilians? I doubt we would get them back without force.

Deny they are U.S. forces.

 

[Yarddog]

Youre innocently diving for shellfish or whatever.... and then Seal Team 6 emerges from the inky blackness and shoots you dead.

Life in N Korea sounds hard.

Trump will claim they were drug runners from Venezuela.