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Ex-CIA Analyst Accused of Serving as Unregistered Agent for South Korea

July 17, 2024 TruthUSA

Sue Mi Terry is being accused of sharing confidential U.S. government information with South Korea for more than ten years in exchange for luxury items, dinners, and financial support.

A former CIA analyst is facing charges for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea’s intelligence service in return for lavish gifts, dining experiences, and financial backing, as outlined in a recently revealed indictment filed on July 15 in the U.S. Southern District of New York.

Sue Mi Terry is charged with conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and failing to register under FARA, which aims to prevent covert foreign influence by foreign entities.

Over the span of more than ten years, Ms. Terry allegedly “worked as an agent of the Government of the Republic of Korea (‘ROK’), also known as South Korea,” and following directives from South Korean officials, she “advocated ROK policy positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to ROK intelligence officers, and facilitated interactions between ROK and U.S. government officials,” according to the indictment.

In return, South Korean intelligence officers provided Ms. Terry with “luxury goods,” such as a $2,845 Dolce and Gabbana coat and a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, along with other items, as well as treated her to “high-priced dinners” at Michelin-starred restaurants and more than $37,000 in “covert funding for a public program focused on Korean affairs” under her control, the indictment reveals.

Ms. Terry is noted for her specialization in foreign policy and had previously worked on Korean policy at the White House National Security Council, the indictment further states.

Her purported activities as an agent began in 2013, following her departure from U.S. government service and transition to think tanks, as detailed in the indictment.

‘Valuable Source’ for South Korea

During a voluntary interview with the FBI in June 2023, Ms. Terry acknowledged being a “valuable source” of information for South Korea’s intelligence service.

In June 2022, she took part in an “off-the-record” meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding U.S. government policy towards North Korea, the indictment notes. Immediately post-meeting, she met with a “point of contact” or “handler” from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and shared detailed handwritten notes about the meeting with him, according to the indictment.

Despite reportedly engaging in extensive activities on behalf of the South Korean government, Ms. Terry failed to register as a foreign agent with the attorney general, as mandated by U.S. law.

On multiple occasions between 2016 and 2022, while testifying before the House of Representatives on U.S. government Korean policy, Ms. Terry indicated on disclosure forms that she was not an “active registrant,” the indictment states.

Nonetheless, the indictment asserts that Ms. Terry was operating as an agent of South Korea without completing the required registration.

As a consequence, Congress was deprived of the opportunity to assess Terry’s testimony fairly given her long-standing efforts on behalf of the South Korean government, the indictment reveals.

Allegations ‘Unfounded’

In a statement to the media, Ms. Terry’s attorney, Lee Wolosky, dismissed the allegations as “unfounded and misrepresenting the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.”

Mr. Wolosky noted that his client has not held a security clearance for over ten years and that her perspectives have remained consistent.

“In reality, she was critical of the South Korean government during periods when this indictment suggests she was acting in its favor. Once the facts are clarified, it will be evident that the government has made a significant error,” he added.

Ms. Terry is a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Virginia and Hawaii.

According to her official biography, she worked as a senior analyst on Korean issues at the CIA from 2001 to 2008 and as a director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama from 2008 to 2009.

From 2009 to 2010, she served as the deputy national intelligence officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council.

Since departing the government in 2011, she has been a national intelligence fellow in the David Rockefeller Studies Program at the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.

In this capacity, Ms. Terry studied “North Korean leadership succession plans, Pyongyang’s evolving nuclear strategy, and the potential for instability in North Korea,” per her official biography.

The Epoch Times reached out to a Council on Foreign Relations spokesperson for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

The indictment against Ms. Terry was issued following President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s July 11 pledge to strengthen their partnership in response to the rising nuclear threat from North Korea.

During a meeting at the annual NATO summit in Washington, the two leaders signed guidelines to uphold an effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture on the Korean peninsula, marking the first such agreement between the United States and South Korea.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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