Did Sue Mi Terry's Acceptance OF Luxury Gifts From South Korea Cross Legal Boundaries?

Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst and senior official at the White House National Security Council, has been indicted on charges of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for South Korea.

The indictment, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that luxury goods and expensive dinners were accepted by Terry in exchange for advocacy of South Korean government positions during media appearances, sharing nonpublic information, and facilitating access for South Korean officials to US government counterparts, as reported by First Post.

Terry's Acceptance OF Luxury Gifts And The Controversy

Luxury items, including Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton handbags, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, and dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants, were reportedly received by Terry. Additionally, over $37,000 in covert funding for a public policy program focused on Korean affairs was allegedly received. These activities were said to have begun in 2013, two years after Terry left US government employment, and continued for a decade.

Who is Mi Terry?

Sue Mi Terry, a Korean-American international relations scholar, has been a prominent figure in East Asian affairs. Born in Seoul around 1972, Terry moved to the United States at age 12 after her father's death from liver cancer. Raised in Hawaii and Virginia, Terry earned her B.A. in political science from New York University in 1993 and a PhD in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in 2001.

Terry's career in the US government spanned from 2001 to 2011, where she served as a senior analyst on Korean issues for the CIA and later as director for Korea, Japan, and Oceanic Affairs at the National Security Council under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as reported by First Post.

Post-government, roles were held at various think tanks by her, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Wilson Center, and Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute. She was recognized as an expert on North Korea, South Korea, and Japan throughout her career.

Terry is married to Max Boot, a columnist for The Washington Post, and the couple resides in New York. She has been a frequent guest on TV, radio, and podcasts, and her insights have been widely quoted in media regarding East Asian politics.

Allegations On Expensive Gift

The indictment alleges that Terry's covert work included passing handwritten notes from a private June 2022 meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about US policy toward North Korea. A voluntary interview in June 2023 with the FBI saw Terry admit to having served as a source for South Korean intelligence, thereby providing valuable information.

In a notable allegation, it is said by the indictment that congressional staffers were invited by Terry to a happy hour in DC that was covertly funded by South Korean intelligence. The event, nominally hosted by the South Korean Embassy, allowed South Korean officials to potentially recruit US congressional staffers, as per agencies report.

The indictment highlights the allegation that Terry's actions were compromising the integrity of her expert testimonies before Congressional panels between 2016 and 2022, as her covert work with South Korea was not disclosed. The charges against Terry, including failure to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiring to violate the law, are included.

Furthermore, it is alleged by the indictment that Terry's interactions with a Korean Foreign Ministry official in March 2023 saw her drafting an op-ed using information provided by the official, with the op-ed subsequently being published on The Washington Post's website without disclosing the involvement of the Korean government.

Terry's attorney, Lee Wolosky, has strongly denied the allegations, stating that "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."

He went on to highlight the fact that Terry had not had a security clearance for over a decade and that her opinions had consistently been critical of the South Korean government. Additionally, Wolosky stated, "Once the facts are made clear, it will be evident that the government made a significant mistake." South Korea is not a defendant in the case, as reported by First Post.

The Council on Foreign Relations, where Terry served as a senior fellow, placed her on unpaid administrative leave and pledged full cooperation with any investigation, according to the Washington Post.

The Wilson Center confirmed Terry's involvement in their Korea Program and Asia Program but stated they were not a target of the investigation.