Ex-CIA Analyst Accused of Working for South Korean Intelligence Service

A former CIA analyst and noted East Asia expert has been indicted on criminal charges of acting as an agent of South Korea, whose intelligence officials allegedly rewarded her with luxury gifts and concealed payments made to a think tank.

Sue Mi Terry was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act, according to an indictment in the Southern District of New York that was made public Tuesday. The Council on Foreign Relations, where Terry is senior fellow for Korea studies, placed her on unpaid administrative leave, CFR spokesperson Iva Zorić said, adding that the think tank “will cooperate with any investigation” and takes the allegations “very seriously.”

Terry’s lawyer, Lee Wolosky, signaled that she will fight the charges. “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 said in a statement. “Dr. Terry has not held a security clearance for over a decade and her views on matters relating to the Korean peninsula have been consistent over many years. In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during times this indictment alleges that she was acting on its behalf. Once the facts are made clear it will be evident the government made a significant mistake.”

Terry, 54, told FBI agents in a voluntary interview in June 2023 that she was a “source” for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, or NIS, according to the indictment. The indictment also alleges that Terry admitted that she had “resigned in lieu of termination” from the CIA because of the agency’s concern over problematic contacts with Korean intelligence officers.

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But for years, prosecutors allege, Terry met with handlers from the NIS, who dined with her at luxury restaurants in New York and D.C. and bought her Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta handbags and a Dolce & Gabbana coat, the indictment says. Terry provided the intelligence officials with information and access to congressional staffers and high-ranking U.S. government officials.

Before working for the Council on Foreign Relations, Terry was a deputy national intelligence officer at the National Intelligence Council and director for Korea, Japan and Oceanic affairs at the National Security Council. She also previously worked as senior fellow for the Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and later worked as director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center. Terry has been an occasional op-ed contributor to The Washington Post’s website, and is the wife of Post columnist Max Boot.

Terry is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Seoul and raised in Virginia and Hawaii, according to the indictment.

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