NYT Investigation: Trump Approved Failed 2019 North Korea SEAL Team 6 Mission

Failed North Korea Mission Details

• 🎯 A 2019 top-secret SEAL Team 6 mission into North Korea aimed to plant an electronic device to intercept communications from leader Kim Jong Un.
• 🚀 The operation involved a massive nuclear-powered submarine and SEALs swimming ashore from mini-submarines, expecting to operate unseen.
• ⚠️ The mission went wrong when a small fishing boat, likely carrying unarmed locals, unexpectedly appeared near the SEALs' landing site.
• 💥 In a critical decision, the SEALs shot and killed everyone on the boat, later discovering they were likely civilians and not security forces.
• 🤫 The SEALs then disposed of the bodies by puncturing the boat to ensure it sank, preventing them from floating to the surface.

Mission Approval and Secrecy

• 🔑 President Trump approved the training and execution of this highly risky operation.
• 🚫 The mission was approved without notifying key members of Congress at the time, according to the report.
• 📰 The New York Times investigation uncovered these details, with the mission having never been publicly revealed until now.

Aftermath and Implications

• 📈 North Korea increased military activity in the area immediately after the mission, indicating awareness that something had occurred.
• ❓ It remains unclear what North Korea knows about the SEALs' presence or the killings, and the US government may not have full clarity either.
• 📉 The report suggests a potential link between this failed mission and a subsequent halt in nuclear negotiations and progress between the US and North Korea.
• 🗣️ The investigation highlights the importance of accountability and learning from classified mission failures, even those involving elite units like SEAL Team 6.