A covert U.S. Navy SEAL mission on North Korea’s coast during the first Trump administration, recently reported by the New York Times, has underscored the extent to which the country remains a black box even to the world’s most powerful military, while raising concerns about potential escalation risks and impacts on U.S.-DPRK relations.

The operation reportedly sent a highly trained team to the DPRK with the goal of installing an electronic device that could gather intelligence on Kim Jong Un’s intentions ahead of negotiations. At the time, President Donald Trump was continuing his summit meetings with the North Korean leader, including the 2018 Singapore Summit and the 2019 Hanoi Summit.