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FBI Pressures NYT Reporter for Sources on Failed North Korea Operation
🇰🇷 South Korea /Conflict & Security

FBI Pressures NYT Reporter for Sources on Failed North Korea Operation

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The FBI issued a subpoena to a New York Times reporter in February, demanding the identity of a source who reported on a failed North Korea operation.
  • The reporter, Matthew Cole, had written an article in September detailing a secret 2019 Trump-era mission involving Navy SEALs targeting Kim Jong Un.
  • The NYT and Cole condemned the FBI's actions as a violation of press freedom.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempted to compel a New York Times reporter to reveal his sources for a story detailing a failed secret operation against North Korea during the Trump administration. In February, FBI agents visited reporter Matthew Cole's New York home to serve him with a subpoena, which was ultimately delivered to his lawyer. Cole had published an article in September that exposed a highly classified 2019 mission where elite Navy SEALs allegedly attempted to eavesdrop on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The report described how a North Korean civilian vessel unexpectedly appeared as the SEALs approached the coast, forcing them to abort the mission and return to their submarine. The New York Times and Cole strongly denounced the FBI's move, labeling it a significant infringement on press freedom and the public's right to know. They argued that compelling journalists to disclose their sources undermines the essential role of investigative reporting in a democratic society.

The FBI's attempt to obtain Mr. Cole's sources is an unacceptable overreach and a threat to the free press.

— New York Times spokespersonThe New York Times condemned the FBI's actions as a violation of press freedom.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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