Sue Mi Terry, a former senior analyst at the CIA and member of the White House National Security Council (NSC), has been indicted on charges of working as an unregistered agent for South Korea. The indictment, unsealed in Manhattan federal court, accuses Terry of promoting South Korean policies, leaking nonpublic U.S. government information, and arranging meetings between South Korean officials and their U.S. counterparts.
Terry allegedly received luxurious items such as designer handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, and expensive dinners in return for her services. Furthermore, she is accused of accepting over $37,000 in covert funding for a public policy program on Korean affairs that she managed. Her activities reportedly began in 2013, two years after she left her U.S. government position, and continued for a decade.
Currently a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Terry is a recognized expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula. Her lawyer, Lee Wolosky, has strongly denied the charges, describing them as baseless. “These allegations are unfounded and distort the work of a scholar and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States,” Wolosky stated. He emphasized that Terry was a vocal critic of the South Korean government during the periods mentioned in the indictment.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan and South Korea’s embassy in Washington have not commented on the matter. Terry’s biography highlights her extensive experience, including roles as a senior CIA analyst and as director of Korean, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the NSC under both Republican and Democratic administrations.
The indictment includes charges of failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to violate that law. It also notes that during a voluntary interview with the FBI in June 2023, Terry admitted to being a “source” for South Korea’s intelligence service.
