Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced yesterday the unsealing of an Indictment charging SUE MI TERRY with offenses under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). TERRY was arrested on July 16, 2024, in New York and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: “Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA and White House employee, allegedly violated foreign agent registration laws to provide South Korean intelligence officers with access, information, and advocacy. Terry purportedly leveraged her positions and influence for personal gain, receiving luxury handbags, expensive meals, and significant funding for her public policy program. These charges serve as a warning to those in public policy who might consider selling their expertise to a foreign government.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis added: “Compromising national security endangers every American by weakening our defenses. Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA and White House official, was arrested for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea. Despite repeated warnings, Terry allegedly used her roles at think tanks to further a foreign agenda, disclosed sensitive U.S. information, and influenced U.S. policy in favor of South Korea for monetary rewards and luxury gifts. This arrest underscores the FBI’s commitment to pursue anyone compromising national security.”
As per the Indictment:
After leaving U.S. government service, TERRY allegedly worked as an agent for the Republic of Korea (ROK) for over a decade without registering as required by law. Directed by ROK officials, TERRY publicly advocated ROK policies, disclosed non-public U.S. information, and facilitated ROK officials’ access to U.S. officials. TERRY received luxury items, expensive dinners, and over $37,000 in funding for her public policy program in return.
From 2001 to 2011, TERRY held various U.S. government positions, including an analyst role at the CIA, Director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the White House National Security Council, and Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia at the National Intelligence Council. Post-2011, she worked at academic institutions and think tanks in New York City and Washington, D.C., making media appearances, publishing, and hosting conferences on Korean and regional Asian issues.
TERRY allegedly provided crucial information to the ROK National Intelligence Service (ROK NIS) since leaving U.S. government service. For instance, in June 2022, she relayed details of an off-the-record meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State to her ROK NIS handler, who photographed her notes. In another instance, at her handler’s request, she hosted a happy hour for Congressional staff funded by the ROK NIS under the guise of her think tank’s sponsorship.
TERRY reportedly received luxury items like handbags from Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, expensive meals, and approximately $37,000 into a think tank account she controlled. Additionally, ROK officials paid her for articles in the U.S. and Korean press promoting ROK government positions.
TERRY, 54, of New York, faces one count of conspiracy to violate FARA and one count of failure to register under FARA, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Sentencing will be determined by a judge.
U.S. Attorney Williams commended the investigative efforts of the FBI’s New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence Division. He also acknowledged the support from various FBI divisions, the Amtrak Police Department, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
This case is managed by the National Security and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Alexander Li, and Kyle A. Wirshba leading the prosecution, supported by Trial Attorney Christopher M. Rigali from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges are accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.