Ex-CIA analyst accused of spying for South Korea escapes trial in stunning DOJ deal
Federal prosecutors have agreed to defer the prosecution of a former CIA analyst accused of operating as an undisclosed agent for South Korean intelligence, according to legal documents filed Tuesday.
Sue Mi Terry was charged in 2024 following allegations that she supplied nonpublic government data to South Korea, arranged meetings between foreign representatives and U.S. officials, and accepted high-end gifts while promoting foreign government positions during media appearances.
The Justice Department deal puts her prosecution on hold for one year, after which all charges will be formally dropped if Terry avoids legal trouble. The agreement was finalized weeks before Terry was set to face trial in a Manhattan federal court on charges of operating as an unregistered foreign agent.
Prosecutors did not offer a detailed explanation in court papers regarding their choice to halt the case, recording only their assessment that the interests of Terry and the U.S. “will be best served by deferring prosecution.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.
Terry has continuously maintained her complete innocence. Her lawyer, Lee Wolosky, remarked Tuesday that she had “served her country loyally for many years” and was pleased with the overall resolution.
“We have consistently maintained that her interactions with South Korean officials were conducted in furtherance of U.S. interests and her work as a leading American specialist on North Korea and East Asia,” Wolosky stated.
To fulfill the terms of her deal, Terry signed a document acknowledging several facts, including that she passed notes to a South Korean intelligence agent after an off-the-record 2022 gathering she attended with then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The filing noted she also accepted designer coats and handbags from South Korea’s intelligence service for her efforts, valued at approximately $9,245.
