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A group of Navy SEALs embarked on a difficult top-secret mission in 2019 to North Korea to plant an electronic device to monitor Kim Jong Un’s communications.
US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. (Reuters/File)
During US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019, a group of Navy SEALs embarked on a difficult top-secret mission to North Korea with one objective: to plant an electronic device to allow the United States to intercept the communications of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump had authorised a high-risk operation to plant a spy device in North Korea in 2019 to monitor the communications of Kim Jong Un, according to The New York Times. The US military chose SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron, which was the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden.
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The mission was of paramount importance to the United States in the midst of high-level nuclear talks between Kim and Trump, as it could provide the US with critical intelligence. However, the mission was incredibly risky, and if the team was spotted, it would not only tank nuclear talks but also lead to a hostage crisis.
The mission was approved by Trump as he was set to meet Kim in Vietnam in February 2019. “I don’t know anything about it. I’d have to, I could look, but I know nothing about it,” he told reporters on Friday when he asked about the alleged mission.
How The Mission Failed
The SEALs rehearsed for months for the high-risk mission, as every move needed to be perfect with no room for error. The preparations involved rehearsing in freezing water, and plans for deployment from a nuclear-powered US submarine.
The plan was for the SEALs to ride for hours in the freezing 4-degree temperatures with scuba gear and heated suits, reach the shore, plant the device and escape without being noticed. However, the plan did not exactly turn out as expected.
As the Navy SEALs reached what they thought was a deserted shore that night, wearing black wet suits and night-vision goggles, a North Korean fishing boat suddenly appeared out of the dark.
As flashlights from the boat swept over the water, the SEALs feared that they had been spotted. After realising that there was no way to communicate with the mission commander, a senior SEAL opened fire, with other SEALs joining in.
Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was killed, and the SEALs pulled the bodies in the water and punctured their lungs so they would sink below. The three civilians killed were unarmed and diving for shellfish, as per The New York Times.
The SEALs retreated into the sea without planting the listening device. This 2019 operation has never been publicly acknowledged, or even hinted at, by the United States or North Korea and all details remain classified.
Furthermore, the Trump administration did not notify key members of Congress who oversee intelligence operations, before or after the mission was carried out, which may have violated the law.
Despite historic summits between Donald Trump and Kim in 2018 and 2019, both sides failed to reach a lasting agreement and North Korea resumed nuclear testing, further complicating future engagement.
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
United States of America (USA)
September 06, 2025, 23:40 IST
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