Former CIA analyst accused of secretly working for South Korean government

Jul 17. (EUROPA PRESS) –

A New York jury has charged former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry with secretly working for the South Korean government in exchange for luxury items and up to $37,000 (just under 34,000 euros).

According to the indictment, Terry first acted as a foreign agent in June 2019, when she met on “multiple occasions” with a South Korean government contact, according to information collected by the American news network .

Thus, under orders from South Korean authorities, Terry “defended Seoul’s political positions” including through the publication of articles and appearances in the media.

He is also accused of disclosing confidential U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence officials and “facilitating access by South Korean government officials to U.S. government officials.”

In exchange, Terry allegedly received around $37,000 from South Korean authorities, which was deposited into the accounts of the think tank where the former analyst worked. She also received luxury items such as handbags and coats, as well as dinners at prestigious restaurants.

The news network said it had tried to contact both the South Korean Foreign Ministry and the South Korean National Intelligence Service, which declined to comment.

U.S. law requires American citizens to register as foreign agents if they engage in certain acts for or on behalf of another state. The indictment accuses Terry of failing to act on his activities.

Terry, a South Korean national who became a U.S. citizen, joined the U.S. administration in 2001. She served as a senior analyst on East Asia issues for the CIA and later served as director of Japan, Korea and Oceania affairs for the Security Council under George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

In June 2013, five years after leaving the CIA, Terry began working as a diplomat for the UN, a period that further strengthened her ties with some of the highest-ranking officials in the South Korean service.