Sue Mi Terry, Ex-CIA Analyst, Faces an indictment over alleged South Korean Espionage

A New York grand jury has charged Sue Mi Terry, a former Central Intelligence Agency analyst, with allegations of spying for the South Korean government in return for luxury items, luggage, and lavish dinners.

Sue Mi Terry, a former senior staffer in the White House National Security Council, is charged with two counts of failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Sue Mi Terry, a well-known North Korean specialist in the United States, is accused by federal investigators of acting as a foreign agent for the South Korean government for more than a decade without first registering with American authorities. This information was revealed in court records issued Tuesday in the Southern District of New York.

Sue Mi Terry, a senior fellow on Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, has been put on unpaid leave, and her biography has been deleted off its website, according to a representative.

Sue Mi Terry, 54, rejects the claims, and her attorney, Lee Wolosky, called the allegations “unfounded.”

“The charges distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States,” Wolosky told reporters. “In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during the period this indictment alleges she was acting on its behalf.”

Terry was born in South Korea and came to the United States at the age of twelve. She graduated from Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy with a PhD in 2001. Terry is proficient in English and Korean and has given lectures in both languages.

Terry served as a senior analyst for the CIA from 2001 to 2008 before moving on to different federal government positions, including Director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Prosecutors say Terry’s alleged espionage for the South Korean government started in 2013, roughly five years after she left the CIA and the National Security Council.

According to the 31-page charge, Terry told FBI officials during a voluntary interview in 2023 that she was a “source” for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.

According to the accusation, the South Korean government gave Terry a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat, a $3,450 Louis Vuitton purse, and lunches at high-end restaurants. Furthermore, investigators allege she got $37,000 from the South Korean government, which was hidden in a gift fund at the think tank where she worked.

Following Democratic Senator Robert Menendez’s conviction for aiding foreign governments in exchange for pricey items like gold bars and a Mercedes car, Terry is facing charges of his own.