A former CIA and White House National Security Council senior analyst faces accusations of acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea, allegedly receiving luxury gifts and other items in exchange.
According to a Tuesday indictment filed in Manhattan federal court in New York, Sue Mi Terry endorsed South Korea’s political positions, provided South Korean intelligence employees with non-public U.S. government information, and facilitated access for South Korean officials to their American counterparts.
It is suspected that in return, South Korean intelligence employees provided her with luxury goods, handbags, expensive clothing, dinners at luxurious restaurants, and over $37,000 in funds, ostensibly for a public policy program on Korean issues she managed.
She is alleged to have started working as an agent for South Korea in 2013, two years after leaving the U.S. government, continuing this activity for a decade.
Currently, she works at the Council on Foreign Relations. According to the organization’s website, she is an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea.
“These allegations are baseless and distort the work of a respected scholar and analyst for her independence and years of service in the United States,” said Ms. Terry’s lawyer, Lee Wolosky, in a statement.
“In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during the time the indictment claims she acted on its behalf. Once the facts are clear, it will be evident that the government has made a serious mistake.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, Damian Williams, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The South Korean Embassy in Washington and Terry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. There are no charges against South Korea.
According to her online biography, Terry is a frequent guest on TV, radio, and other media and has testified several times before Congressional committees.
Born in Seoul and raised in Virginia, Terry was a senior CIA analyst from 2001 to 2008 and later served until the end of 2009 in a senior position on the White House National Security Council for Korean, Japanese, and Oceanic affairs.
She currently resides in New York, according to her biography. She is accused of failing to register as a foreign agent, as required by federal law, and attempting to violate the law.
According to the indictment, during a voluntary interview with the FBI in June 2023, she admitted to being a “source” for South Korean intelligence, “meaning she provided valuable information.”
