CIA indicted on espionage charges for ‘strengthening North Korean defectors’ before disrupting Yoon Seok-yeol’s regime in approaching North Korea
A former hard-line CIA agent who was involved in the ‘Strategy of Strengthening North Korean Defectors’ was indicted on espionage charges as part of the strategy of disrupting the hard-line conservative regime of Yoon Seok-yeol in the North Korea-US dialogue approach strategy.
According to the indictment, Sumi Terry, who served as a CIA North Korea analyst and promoted a hard-line policy against North Korea in South Korea, received $500 from Seoul officials, including receiving $500 for writing an article praising the outcome of the summit between President Joe Biden and President Yoon Seok-yeol in April 2023. At their request, several opinions were presented.
Reuters reported, “In a voluntary interview with the FBI in June 2023, he admitted that he was an ‘informant’ for the Korean intelligence agency. “This means that she provided valuable information,” he said. “Terry’s agent activities began in 2013, two years after she left U.S. public service, and in 2014, FBI agents discovered that a Korean intelligence agency was secretly providing event expenses.” “It continued for 10 years even after warnings that it might try to do so,” it was reported on the 16th.
The U.S. Democratic government, which has maintained a policy of diplomacy and dialogue with North Korea, collected information in the U.S. to attempt a 'hard-line response to the theory of collapse' against North Korea and passed it on to South Korean intelligence agencies to support hardliners in the U.S. Republican Party, putting a brake on the Democratic Clinton administration's diplomacy toward North Korea. This was most evident during the Kim Young-sam regime, and at that time, the naval attaché at the U.S. Embassy was indicted on espionage charges after receiving information after providing money to Korean-American Robert Kim, and Robert Kim was found guilty and served a long prison sentence.
The Clinton administration delayed and blocked some of North Korea's public information as the Democratic Party's diplomatic approach to North Korea clashed with Kim Young-sang's hard-line policy of 'early collapse' of the North Korean regime, and the Gangneung submarine infiltration incident occurred in 1994.
The Chosun Ilbo said, “On this day, while indicting Terry, the prosecution disclosed in unusual detail that the intelligence authorities of South Korea, an ally, were deeply connected,” and added, “It may have sent a ‘warning’ message to the Korean government that violated the security interests of the United States.” “In addition to observations, attention is being focused on the impact the aftermath of this incident will have on Korea-US relations,” it was reported on the 16th.
The New York Times, which reported the indictment, said, “Around 2013, five years after retiring from the CIA, I contacted a member of the Korean National Intelligence Service posing as a diplomat at the Korean Mission to the United Nations in New York City, and over the next 10 years, I received thousands of dollars worth of Louis Vuitton and Beauté in return for my work. “I was treated to a Gabenetta bag, a Dolce & Gabbana coat, and a meal at a luxury restaurant,” he said. “A private memo on the U.S. government’s North Korea policy from a closed meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken in 2022 was delivered to South Korean intelligence officials, and the Trump administration “At that time, I introduced NIS agents to government officials and U.S. Congressional staff.”
Researcher Terry's charges of espionage included, "After receiving at least $37,000 in secret funds through a think tank where he worked, he wrote a friendly column on a topic requested by the Korean government."
The indictment states that “a South Korean National Intelligence Service official provided Researcher Terry to write an article positively evaluating President Yoon Seok-yeol’s improvement in Korea-Japan relations,” and that “Korean media outlets preceded the agreement to launch the ROK-US Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) at the 2023 ROK-US summit.” He stated that he requested “a contribution stating that ‘there is a need to stipulate the provision of a nuclear umbrella by the United States.’”
His Korean media contributions reported by ‘OhmyNews’ were mainly focused on the Chosun Ilbo.
“If President Trump fails to obtain meaningful concessions from North Korea and only makes concessions, it will signal the end of the ‘Pax Americana (US-led world order)’” (Chosun Ilbo column, July 19, 2018)
“The most Kim Jong-un can do is freeze nuclear weapons and missile launch tests. He will continue to refuse to report the status of their nuclear and missile possessions. Now, President Trump is busy fighting with the Democratic Party-controlled House of Representatives to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. In this situation, President Moon, who is pushing for reconciliation with North Korea, will become increasingly isolated.” (Chosun Ilbo column, November 12, 2018)
“It may be theoretically possible for the Korean government to act as a mediator and facilitator, but in reality it is very difficult,” and “I think it will be difficult for the Korean government to make real progress.” (Asan Planum held by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies on April 24, 2019 Announcement)
During the Trump regime, President Moon Jae-in strategized the 'driver theory' while attempting to use the 2017 North Korea-US summit as a CIA project, and as the CIA enlarged the Korea Mission Center (KMC) and visited the Blue House frequently, Researcher Terry was able to have close contact with the National Intelligence Service. , Under the Biden regime, the KMC was disbanded in 2021 and North Korea intelligence was upgraded from the CIA to the National Intelligence Service (DNI), which reduced the function of the NIS. It appears that the FBI intervened in response to the expansion of unofficial contacts.
Researcher Terry, who was indicted, is a hardliner on the issue of North Korean defectors and produced ‘Beyond Utopia,’ a documentary film about his family’s escape from North Korea, and Yoon Seok-yeol’s regime formalized the ‘expansion of freedom for North Korean residents’ and the ‘policy of active intervention for North Korean defectors,’ so they are deeply interconnected.
The Yoon regime's 'strategy of breaking away from the North Korean people's freedom expansion system' corresponds to the Biden regime's strategy of interfering with North Korea's exchange, and it shows support for the Republican Trump system in the November presidential election.
President Yoon announced on the 14th at a ceremony commemorating 'North Korean Defector Day' that "no matter what happens, we will not send back a single North Korean compatriot visiting the Republic of Korea."
First Lady Kim Kun-hee met with North Korean defectors on the 26th of last month in Washington, where the NATO Summit was held, and said, “The international community needs to cooperate so that North Korean residents can enjoy a slightly safer life.”
When asked at a briefing on the 17th whether the espionage situation was discussed with the Korean government, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller responded, "Generally speaking, the reason the Foreign Agent Registration Act exists is to ensure that not only the general public but also U.S. government and State Department employees meet people. “So that they know who they represent, whether it is themselves or a foreign government,” he said. “We have been clear for some time that we welcome diplomacy, and we have seen that desire met with provocative actions by North Korea.” . We continue to believe that diplomacy is best and the best way to address our serious concerns. “North Korea is pursuing a different route, which is why we continue to impose accountability measures on North Korea,” he said with ‘Diplomacy First’.
Acting FBI Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis said on the day, "Sumi Terry, a former CIA and White House official, was arrested on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea and posing a serious threat to national security. Despite repeated warnings over a period of more than a year, he is suspected of abusing his position at a think tank to promote foreign agendas by providing sensitive information from the U.S. government to South Korean intelligence agencies in exchange for money and high-quality gifts, and to the U.S. advantage to Korea. “He used his position to influence policy,” he said.