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.

 

[Valletta]

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.

There have been many secret operations into foreign countries under numerous administrations that do not immediately make the news. In fact there was a whole secret war in Laos through Democrat and Republican administrations. While Nixon announced all of the POWs were on their way home in early 1973, at that time the Pathet Lao did not release even one American POW. In early 1973 the U.S. was still flying secret missions into Laos and lost more men there. Additionally there was a secret mission into Laos in 1981. It may take decades for classified missions to be revealed, on occasion officials think it is best to reveal the missions right away. As to Carter and the hostage rescue attempt, Carter took a hit politically when it came out the U.S. had refused Israeli help for advice on the mission, Israel used special air filters on desert helicopters to keep out the sand.

 

[iluvatar5150]

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.

Dude was probably sitting there, figuring he's only gotta watch out for his own government. NK is probably the safest place on earth when it comes to American military adventurism.

 

[Richard T]

There have been many secret operations into foreign countries under numerous administrations that do not immediately make the news. In fact there was a whole secret war in Laos through Democrat and Republican administrations. While Nixon announced all of the POWs were on their way home in early 1973, at that time the Pathet Lao did not release even one American POW. In early 1973 the U.S. was still flying secret missions into Laos and lost more men there. Additionally there was a secret mission into Laos in 1981. It may take decades for classified missions to be revealed, on occasion officials think it is best to reveal the missions right away. As to Carter and the hostage rescue attempt, Carter took a hit politically when it came out the U.S. had refused Israeli help for advice on the mission, Israel used special air filters on desert helicopters to keep out the sand.

Yes, you are absolutely right. I am ok with the missions but when things go south on them, killing civilians is something I hope we try to avoid. I don't know the risks, but maybe just taking their radio and disabling their engines would have been a better alternative? Maybe have some korean call it in as a tip a day later? Of course no one knows all the details, so i can't judge what options there may or may not have been. Keeping it secret too as long as possible does seem to be the best policy as long as the mission is on the up and up on the USA side.

 

[Desk trauma]

Dude was probably sitting there, figuring he's only gotta watch out for his own government. NK is probably the safest place on earth when it comes to American military adventurism.

Israel would be safest.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Israel would be safest.

fair

 

[Pommer]

Yes, you are absolutely right. I am ok with the missions but when things go south on them, killing civilians is something I hope we try to avoid. I don't know the risks, but maybe just taking their radio and disabling their engines would have been a better alternative? Maybe have some korean call it in as a tip a day later? Of course no one knows all the details, so i can't judge what options there may or may not have been. Keeping it secret too as long as possible does seem to be the best policy as long as the mission is on the up and up on the USA side.

I dunno, highly training a team of dedicated professional soldiers to do operations but without killing anyone (should things not go according to plan), seems wildly optimistic.