In 2019, Navy SEALs launched a secret mission in North Korea to plant a spy device that would track Kim Jong Un’s communications. The mission carried high risk and had direct approval from US President Donald Trump. The goal was to gather intelligence during nuclear talks when human sources inside North Korea were nearly impossible.
The operation involved SEAL Team 6’s Red Squadron, the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden. They trained for months in freezing waters and planned to travel from a nuclear submarine using stealth “wet subs.” Their task was to reach the coast, hide the device, and escape unseen.
The mission failed when a North Korean fishing boat suddenly appeared. Fearing exposure, a senior SEAL opened fire and others joined. They killed three unarmed civilians who were diving for shellfish. The team pulled the bodies into the water and made sure they sank. The Navy SEALs North Korea mission ended without planting the device.
US spy satellites later spotted unusual military activity near the site. Trump denied knowing about the mission, saying he “heard about it for the first time.” In 2021, the Biden administration briefed Congress, but the findings remain classified.
