According to a report by Japanese media, which cited the electronic version of The New York Times on the 5th, the U.S. Navy SEALs conducted a secret nighttime landing operation off the coast of North Korea in early 2019, attempting to install electronic equipment to eavesdrop on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but it failed. According to the report, the operation was approved by President Trump during his first term, but Trump told reporters at the White House on the 5th, "I had no idea, I never heard of it."

The operation took place before the meeting between Trump and Kim on February 19 in Hanoi, Vietnam. The unit responsible was SEAL Team Six, which is known for the operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the head of the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. The location of the operation has not been disclosed.

American intelligence agencies proposed using newly developed communication interception equipment for eavesdropping. It required landing in North Korea and installing the equipment, and the strategy was carefully planned. It seems the purpose was to understand Kim Jong-un's intention to abandon nuclear weapons.

The SHIELDS boarded a nuclear-powered submarine to approach the waters near North Korea. In preparation for the time when ship traffic would be cut off, two small submarines approached the coast and landed. It is said that in 2005 under the Bush administration, they landed in North Korea without being detected using submarines.

However, during the operation, a North Korean ship suddenly appeared, approaching a submarine moored at sea, and a man jumped into the sea from the ship. Shields determined that they had been discovered and opened fire on the boat and the man. Due to the concern that the North Korean military might discover them, the operation was canceled and withdrawn.

There were two or three people on the boat, all of whom died. There were no guns or military uniforms on the boat; he may have been a fisherman. To hide it by sinking it into the sea, SHIELDS pierced the lungs of the body with a knife to remove the air. According to U.S. satellite intelligence, after the operation, military activities became active near the location in North Korea. There were no U.S. casualties.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842467766040576/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.