The recent indictment of Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA employee and White House official on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), has sent shockwaves through the Korea-watching community.

For over a decade, Terry allegedly followed instructions from the NIS, including advocating for Seoul’s policy positions, disclosing nonpublic U.S. government information and facilitating access for ROK officials to key U.S. counterparts. In return, she allegedly received luxury goods, high-priced dinners and tens of thousands of dollars in covert funding for a public policy program she