US carried out unsuccessful mission in North Korea before Trump-Kim meeting in 2019 - Media
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
In the winter of 2019, the United States carried out a secret operation, the details of which had never been previously disclosed. A US Navy SEAL unit attempted to infiltrate North Korea but encountered local fishermen, whom they were forced to kill before retreating, The New York Times reports.
More than two dozen sources interviewed by the outlet revealed the details of the special operation the US attempted in winter 2019, ahead of the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam.
It was planned that a group of US Navy special forces - the US Navy SEALs - to install special surveillance equipment in North Korea. This device would have allowed the US to intercept Kim Jong Un’s secure communications, as the talks were being prepared at a very high level and focused on North Korea’s nuclear program.
The operation was extremely risky and required personal approval from the US President. In case of failure, the SEALs’ landing could have derailed the negotiations, sparked a crisis, and potentially escalated tensions with a nuclear-armed adversary.
Team 6 SEALs, known for their role in the elimination of Osama bin Laden, trained for months to land on North Korea’s coast. However, during the mission, they encountered a North Korean boat.
"Flashlights from the bow swept over the water. Fearing that they had been spotted, the SEALs opened fire. Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was dead," the outlet states.
The special forces unit retreated without installing the listening device. It was later revealed that the boat was a fishing vessel, but an internal classified review deemed the SEALs’ actions justified and correct.
The operation was never publicly acknowledged. Its details were strictly classified, and officials avoided even hints of it. The White House did not inform even the congressional overseers responsible for intelligence operations.
Potentially, this could have violated US law. Nevertheless, the White House indicated it would not provide any report or comment on the matter, the outlet adds.
In 2019, US President Donald Trump announced he wanted to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss denuclearization. Two summits took place, one in Hanoi, but neither produced any results. Still, Trump continued to claim he had established good relations with Kim.
Recently, Trump spoke of a conspiracy by three world leaders against the US and directed the Pentagon to develop a strategy to contain China and Russia. At the same time, Trump stressed that the US is not seeking conflict with these countries, as stated by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on September 3.
