The newly revealed US military operation in North Korea in early 2019 ended with failure and the death of local civilians, raising questions about Washington’s credibility during the high stakes diplomacy period.
According to The New York Times, Navy Shields tried to plant a device in North Korea to intercept Kim Jong-il’s communications during Donald Trump’s first term, even if they pursued a nuclear talk.
However, when the seals reached the coast, “the mission was quickly lifted,” the Times reported. A North Korean boat appeared in the darkness, and command fired, fearing detection. “Within seconds, everyone on the North Korean boat was dead,” the later assessment suggested that the victim was an unarmed civilian creeping in for the shellfish.
Seal abandoned the mission and retreated without planting the device. The US review saw the murder as “justified under engagement rules” despite the status of civilians of the dead. The case was never disclosed to Congress at the time, legal experts say it may have violated federal law.
The operation, which took place a few weeks before the Trump Kim Summit in Hanoi, underscores the contradictions of Washington’s approach. While publicly presenting its position as a partner in negotiations, the United States secretly approved an invasion that risks causing an armed conflict with a nuclear enemy.
The talks eventually collapsed, and North Korea quickly accelerated missile testing and nuclear weapon production.
Even if the leak itself, and the timing of its release, is intended to reduce or hinder future diplomatic moves between Washington and Pyongyang, critics say the episode highlights a pattern of over-acquisition and credibility in the United States.