Prosecutors Defer Case Against Former CIA Analyst Sue Mi Terry
Federal prosecutors in the United States have agreed to defer the prosecution of Sue Mi Terry, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) analyst and White House National Security Council (NSC) official. Terry is accused of secretly acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS). This deferred prosecution agreement, filed on October 13, could lead to the termination of the case against her in 12 months if she adheres to the stipulated conditions.
Before the deferment, Terry was scheduled to stand trial in a Manhattan federal court on two felony charges related to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Born in Seoul and raised in Virginia, Terry served as a senior CIA analyst from 2001 to 2008 and later as the Director for Korean, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the NSC from 2008 to 2009 under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. At the time of her indictment, she was a senior fellow for Korea Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.
The charges against Terry stem from a July 2024 indictment, alleging that she acted as an unregistered agent for South Korean intelligence. Prosecutors claimed that over a decade, she received luxury items, upscale meals, and substantial research funding from the NIS. In a filing opposing her motion to suppress evidence, prosecutors stated that the financial support came from the highest levels of the NIS and that Terry attempted to conceal this funding from the Woodrow Wilson Center, where she was employed.
The deferred prosecution agreement allows for the suspension of prosecution for 12 months, after which all charges will be dropped if Terry complies with the agreement's terms. In the DPA, she acknowledges accepting luxury items from South Korean officials, including handbags and clothing, valued at over $9,000, and admits to raising approximately $37,000 for her research, funded by checks from the South Korean embassy.
Terms and Restrictions of the Agreement
The agreement also prohibits Terry from communicating with NIS officers and requires her to seek permission before contacting South Korean government officials. Although prosecutors alleged that the funds came from high-ranking NIS officials, this claim is notably absent from the DPA.
Final Brief
Terry has consistently maintained her innocence, arguing that her communications with South Korean officials were standard professional interactions as a policy expert on North Korea and the Korean Peninsula. Her attorney, Lee Wolosky, emphasized her loyalty to the United States and insisted that her interactions were in furtherance of U.S. interests.
The resolution of Terry’s case raises broader concerns regarding U.S. foreign relations, particularly in the context of influence operations by allied governments. The case echoes historical incidents, such as the 1976 ‘Korea Gate’ scandal, where the Korea Central Intelligence Agency attempted to influence U.S. politics through bribery and favors to members of Congress.
