North Korea has maintained a three-day silence as of Monday regarding a New York Times (NYT) report that alleges the U.S. attempted a covert wiretapping operation on Kim Jong Un, the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party, in 2019. Analysts suggest that Pyongyang’s lack of a public response is a calculated move to avoid exposing vulnerabilities along its borders and to prevent further strain on U.S.-North Korea relations.
On September 6, the NYT reported that the U.S. deployed special forces to eavesdrop on Kim ahead of the second North Korea-U.S. summit in January 2019. The operation reportedly failed, resulting in the deaths of several North Korean civilians at the hands of U.S. operatives.
According to the NYT, the mission involved special forces launching from a nuclear submarine, transferring to a mini-sub, and covertly approaching North Korea’s coastline. Upon arrival, the operatives encountered a North Korean fishing vessel. Fearing exposure, they allegedly eliminated all fishermen on board and then withdrew.
North Korea has issued no official response since the report’s publication. Experts believe that addressing the issue publicly could expose weaknesses in Pyongyang’s border security, prompting the regime to handle the matter internally while avoiding any official statements.
Professor Lim Eom-chul from Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies commented that if the report is accurate, an official statement from North Korea would essentially be an admission of failures in border defense and citizen protection.
Some speculate that North Korea’s silence is intended to prevent further deterioration in U.S.-North Korea relations. However, many analysts believe that this report is unlikely to significantly impact future diplomatic efforts. President Donald Trump’s preemptive denial—stating he knew nothing about the operation—may have influenced North Korea’s response strategy.
If Kim was already aware of the incident, the report’s impact might be limited. The NYT noted that U.S. reconnaissance satellites detected an increase in North Korean military activity shortly after the withdrawal of the special forces, suggesting that Pyongyang may have uncovered the operation. Notably, Kim met with President Trump twice more following the alleged incident.
Should Kim have learned about the operation through this report, it could trigger significant internal upheaval. Those who concealed the incident might face severe consequences, and Kim’s security detail could be substantially reinforced.
Some experts posit that North Korea might leverage this alleged hostile act to intensify pressure on the U.S. The fact that the special forces involved in this operation had previously carried out the raid that resulted in the elimination of Osama bin Laden in 2011 could further fuel North Korea’s distrust of the U.S.