U.S. Navy Seals shot and killed North Korean civilians during a failed covert mission in 2019, according to a New York Times report published Friday.
The mission, approved by President Donald Trump, aimed to plant a listening device inside North Korea to intercept the communications of Kim Jong-un during a period of high-stakes diplomatic talks. The plan was intended to close a “blind spot” in U.S. intelligence and give Trump leverage ahead of his summit with Kim that year.
Citing unnamed sources, including current and former military officials, the Times reported that the operation collapsed when the Seals encountered North Korean civilians diving for shellfish. The American forces opened fire, killing everyone on the small fishing vessel. The exact number of casualties was not specified.
The incident has not been publicly acknowledged by either Washington or Pyongyang. Prior to the mission, White House officials had expressed concern that even a limited U.S. military action against North Korea could trigger a catastrophic retaliation.
A classified Pentagon review later concluded the civilian deaths were justified under the rules of engagement, according to the report.
In 2019, the Seals traveled to North Korean waters aboard a nuclear-powered submarine and then deployed in two mini-subs to reach the shore. A group of eight Seals was tasked with slipping past border forces, planting the device, and escaping without detection. The mission was aborted after the civilians were killed, and the device was never installed.
The Times also reported that the plan drew on a similar covert operation carried out in 2005 with the approval of then-President George W. Bush.
Source : New York Times
