A distinguished North Korea expert and former CIA analyst, Sue Mi Terry, has been indicted by a New York grand jury on charges of covertly working for the South Korean government.
Allegedly, Terry received designer goods, luxury meals, and $37,000 for a fund under her control as compensation.
The indictment, which was unsealed on Tuesday, reveals that Terry, a former US National Security Council member, began her covert activities in June 2013.
She reportedly met with an unnamed “handler” multiple times to carry out her duties.
“At the direction of ROK Government officials, Terry advocated ROK policy positions, including in published articles and during media appearances, disclosed nonpublic U.S. Government information to ROK intelligence officers, and facilitated access for ROK Government officials to U.S. Government officials,” the indictment stated, using the initials for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.
In exchange, South Korean officials allegedly offered Terry approximately $37,000, suggesting they could obscure the funds’ origins by depositing them into a designated “gift” account at her think tank.
According to the indictment, Terry also received lavish items such as a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, and dinners at Michelin-star restaurants.
She was also paid to write opinion articles promoting South Korean policy positions in American and Korean media outlets.
Spokesperson for the Council on Foreign Relations, think tank where Terry was employed, Iva Zorić, confirmed that Terry was placed on administrative leave immediately upon learning of the indictment. “We take these allegations very seriously,” Zorić told CNN.
The indictment describes Terry as a “valuable source” of information for the South Korean government.
In one example, following an off-the-record North Korea policy briefing with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2022, Terry allegedly provided her handler with “detailed handwritten notes” about the meeting’s contents.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service acknowledged the close communication between the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States regarding the indictment under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond immediately to request for comment.
US law mandates that American citizens register as foreign agents if they engage in certain activities on behalf of a foreign government.
The indictment claims that Terry did not register as required, which is a criminal offense. CNN is currently trying to find attorney information for Terry, which is not readily available from court records.
Terry, born in Seoul and a naturalized US citizen, began her government service in 2001.
She was a high-profile East Asian issues analyst for the CIA until she resigned in 2008 due to a conflict of interest related to her relationship with South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, as noted in an FBI interview in June 2023.
She later served as the director for Japan, Korea, and Oceanic affairs for the National Security Council under the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.
Five years after leaving the CIA, Terry allegedly started operating as a foreign diplomat under the UN in June 2013, reporting to senior South Korean officials and strengthening her ties with them.
Terry, a media figure, has appeared on multiple platforms, including CNN, and has authored reports for both American and South Korean news outlets. She had previously testified under oath before Congress, denying any involvement as a foreign agent during a House hearing on North Korea’s nuclear activity escalation.
South Korea remains a crucial US ally in the Asia-Pacific region. However, Terry’s indictment is not the first incident of alleged collusion testing the two nations’ relationship.
In 2023, leaked internal Pentagon documents detailed private conversations between two senior South Korean national security officials, purportedly wiretapped by the US.
