Yasin Gungor
14 October 2026•Update: 14 October 2026
US federal prosecutors in New York agreed to pause and ultimately dismiss criminal foreign agent charges against prominent foreign policy expert and former CIA analyst Sue Mi Terry, according to a court agreement made public Tuesday.
"After a thorough investigation, it has been determined that the interest of the United States of America and your own interest will be best served by deferring prosecution in this District," the 12-month deferred prosecution agreement filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York said, adding that proceedings will remain deferred during a period of "good behavior and satisfactory compliance."
Under the terms of the settlement, the US Attorney's Office will drop the case after one year if Terry adheres to several strict conditions. The pact explicitly bars her from knowingly communicating with employees of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, requires pretrial approval for any planned interactions with South Korean government officials, prohibits foreign gifts exceeding $100, and restricts her travel outside the continental US.
The resolution arrives weeks before Terry was scheduled to face trial in Manhattan federal court on charges of conspiracy and substantive violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
2024 indictment
Terry was originally arrested in 2024 following an indictment alleging that she covertly advanced Seoul's policy positions, disclosed non-public American government information to South Korean handlers, and facilitated access for foreign officials to US personnel over more than a decade. Prosecutors claimed that intelligence operatives rewarded her with luxury goods, high-end dinners, and more than $37,000 in funding for a Korean affairs policy initiative under her control.
Terry, who previously worked as an East Asia analyst at the CIA and served on the White House National Security Council between 2001 and 2011, maintained her innocence throughout the proceedings.
