A prominent North Korea expert and ex-CIA analyst is accused of spying for South Korea.
Federal prosecutors claim Sue Mi Terry, 54, secretly worked as an unregistered agent for the South Korean government in exchange for designer goods, Michelin-star dinners, and $37,000 for a fund she controlled.
Terry, a former member of the US National Security Council, is accused of acting as a foreign agent beginning in June 2013.
A newly unsealed indictment claims she allegedly disclosed sensitive U.S. government information to South Korean intelligence and used her position to influence U.S. policy in favor of South Korea.
In return for her cooperation, South Korean officials allegedly offered Terry around $37,000, claiming they could hide the funds' origin by depositing them into a designated "gift" account at her think tank.
Terry is also accused of receiving lavish items, including a $3,450 Louis Vuitton handbag, a $2,950 Bottega Veneta handbag and a $2,845 Dolce & Gabbana coat.
Additionally, she was reportedly paid to write opinion articles promoting South Korean policy positions in both American and Korean media outlets.
Terry's actions are believed to have been a "valuable source" of information for the South Korean government, per the indictment.
Following an off-the-record North Korea policy briefing with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in June 2022, she allegedly passed "detailed handwritten notes" to her handler, describing details of the closed-door briefing.
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said, "Compromising national security endangers every American by weakening our defenses and putting lives at risk."
Curtis went on to say that Terry "used her position to influence U.S. policy in favor of South Korea... for money and luxury gifts."
