- Sue Mi Terry served as a White House official during the Bush and Obama administrations.
- She has since become a foreign policy researcher and media commentator.
- Terry has been accused of working as an agent for South Korea.
A former White House and CIA official has been charged with working as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government in exchange for luxury goods and other gifts.
Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean political positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officials and facilitated access by South Korean government officials to their American counterparts, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.
In exchange, South Korean intelligence officers allegedly provided Terry with Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants and more than $37,000 in “covert” funding for a public policy program on Korean affairs that she ran.
Terry’s alleged work as an agent began in 2013, two years after leaving his job with the U.S. government, and lasted for a decade.
She is currently a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, according to the think tank’s website, and an expert on East Asia and the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea.
Sue Mi Terry advocated South Korean political positions, disclosed nonpublic U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officials and facilitated access by South Korean government officials to their American counterparts, according to an indictment unsealed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court.
Terry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but his attorney, Lee Wolosky, denied the charges in a statement.
‘These accusations are baseless and distort the work of an academic and news analyst known for her independence and years of service to the United States.’
‘In fact, she was a harsh critic of the South Korean government during the times when this indictment alleges she was acting on its behalf.’
“Once the facts are clear, it will be clear that the government made a major mistake,” he added.
The Council on Foreign Relations has placed Terry on unpaid administrative leave and will cooperate with any investigation, a spokeswoman said.
South Korea is not a defendant. Its embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to similar requests.
Terry remains a frequent guest on television, radio and podcasts, having appeared with Kaitlan Collins on CNN last month, and has testified several times before congressional panels.
Terry remains a frequent guest on television, radio and podcasts, having appeared with Kaitlan Collins on CNN as recently as last month, and has testified several times before congressional panels.
Terry (pictured right) attends the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in February.
Born in Seoul and raised in Virginia, Terry was a senior analyst at the CIA from 2001 to 2008 and director for Korean, Japanese and Oceanian Affairs at the NSC from 2008 to 2009 under Republican President George W. Bush and Democratic President Barack Obama.
He now lives in New York, his biography says.
The indictment charges Terry with failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and with conspiring to violate that act.
It says he acknowledged in a voluntary interview with the FBI in June 2023 that he was a “source” for South Korea’s intelligence service, “meaning he provided valuable information.”