A classified Navy SEAL Team operation to plant electronic surveillance devices targeting Kim Jong Un failed in early 2019 when the mission was compromised after the unit engaged North Korean civilians, a New York Times investigation published Friday revealed.

President Donald Trump personally authorized the covert mission during nuclear negotiations with Pyongyang. Eight operators from SEAL Team’s Red Squadron, the unit that killed Osama bin Laden, were tasked with infiltrating North Korean territory to install newly developed eavesdropping equipment.

The Times reportedly interviewed more than 20 unidentified current and former military and government officials to reconstruct the operational details.

The mission began with operators boarding a 220-meter nuclear-powered submarine before transferring to two 10-meter mini-submarines, likely SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) or the newer Shallow Water Combat Submersibles (SWCS). Operators from SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team ONE (SDVT-1) transported Red Squadron to North Korean waters, where SEALs wore specialized suits and breathing equipment to survive water temperatures of approximately 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Military planners designed the operation to address what intelligence officials called a critical “blind spot” in understanding North Korea’s leadership communications. 

New York Times Sources said Red Squadron rehearsed the infiltration for months. The eight-man team planned to slip past North Korean border forces, install the electronic device and extract undetected, while support was limited due to the fact that drone surveillance was impossible because of North Korea’s air defenses.

However, the operation unraveled when a North Korean fishing vessel carrying 2-3 civilians appeared near the insertion point. Despite months of surveillance indicating no civilian activity during the planned timeframe, a small boat emerged from the darkness and civilians shined flashlights over the water. 

A pilot revving the electric motor to reposition one of the mini-subs may have created a wake that attracted the civilians’ attention. With communications blacked out, no coordination was possible between the shore team and command.

Fearing detection, the SEAL team leader opened fire. All civilians aboard were killed within seconds. The operators then reportedly stabbed the corpses in the lungs to ensure the bodies sank to the ocean floor before aborting the mission and returning to their SDVs. 

Neither government has publicly acknowledged the mission, and the extent of North Korea’s knowledge about the infiltration attempt remains unclear.

The operation carried enormous strategic risks. Alleged U.S. assessments warned that discovery could prompt North Korea to launch missiles against American forces in South Korea or fire nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles at the U.S. mainland. 

A classified Pentagon review later concluded the killings were justified under military rules of engagement. The review described the civilian deaths as “unfortunate occurrences” that could not have been foreseen during mission planning.

The failed mission occurred during unprecedented diplomatic engagement between Washington and Pyongyang, including the 2018 Singapore Summit and 2019 Hanoi Summit. With intelligence officials deeming a surveillance capability essential to understanding Kim Jong Un’s decision-making during nuclear talks.

The New York Times also revealed a previously unreported 2005 Navy SEAL infiltration of North Korea during President George W. Bush’s administration. That operation used similar methods and was successfully completed without detection.

Congressional intelligence and military oversight committees were not briefed on the 2019 operation before or after its execution.

Sources told the Times that they disclosed details about the mission because government secrecy often conceals Special Operations failures, potentially causing policymakers to underestimate the risks American forces face in classified operations.

The Times has said it’s withheld certain operational details that could compromise future missions. Neither the Pentagon nor the White House responded to their requests for comment about the classified operation.