Shadows in the Capital: A Spy Walks Among Us

 

Ji-Yoon Lee, once South Korea’s top intelligence operative, walks the twilight streets of D.C., her designer bag hiding secrets as deep as the shadows trailing her."

Sometimes, truth really is stranger than fiction. That’s exactly what came to mind when news broke about Sue Mi Terry—the former CIA analyst turned foreign policy pundit—who’s now facing charges that sound more like the opening chapter of a spy thriller than real life.

     Terry, once hailed as a go-to expert on North Korea, allegedly spent years secretly helping South Korean intelligence operatives gain access to U.S. officials, slipping them information and pushing their narratives. According to federal prosecutors, she did all this while accepting lavish perks: tens of thousands in covert cash, high-end luxury goods from Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton, even fancy dinners at Michelin-starred restaurants. You’d be forgiven for mistaking her resume for a Bond villain’s sidekick.

     Here’s the kicker: a lot of what she allegedly did isn’t that far off from what registered foreign lobbyists do every day in D.C.—only she didn’t register. Under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), anyone working on behalf of a foreign government must disclose it to the U.S. government. It's a pretty basic rule, but an important one. And Terry, allegedly, just... didn’t bother.

     Her indictment shines a bright light on a deeper, often-overlooked issue: the importance of counterintelligence in keeping our government secure from foreign manipulation. It’s not just about preventing another Cold War-style standoff—it's about stopping subtle, behind-the-scenes influence campaigns that twist policy, shape public opinion, and compromise our national security.

     This isn’t just some bureaucratic misstep. When foreign agents can get this close to U.S. officials without raising alarms, it’s a sign that our counterintelligence radar may need recalibrating. And if you think Terry’s story is unsettling, wait until you read the plotlines in my Corey Pearson - CIA Spymaster thriller series.

     In those pages, the shadow games go even deeper. Former Russian KGB officers, using decades of tradecraft experience, quietly embed moles inside the office of the U.S. National Security Advisor. One particularly tense arc involves a high-ranking U.S. Senator—Chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee—whose staff has been compromised. These fictional tales echo the real-world vulnerabilities exposed by cases like Terry’s. The scary part? Fiction often trails reality.

     What’s especially concerning about Terry’s case is how low the bar was for infiltration. She wasn’t sneaking into top-secret facilities or engaging in cloak-and-dagger dead drops in parking garages. She was already inside the tent—as a respected think tank voice, a former intelligence insider, and a recognizable face on cable news. That gave her a long leash to mingle with current officials, push certain viewpoints, and influence policy in ways that went mostly unquestioned.

     Now, of course, she’s innocent until proven guilty. But even if a fraction of the allegations are true, this case is an embarrassing reminder that influence doesn’t always come from the shadows—it sometimes comes wearing heels and ordering caviar at a business lunch.

     The reality is that foreign governments are playing a long game. Whether it's South Korea trying to influence U.S. policy quietly through unofficial channels, or Russian and Chinese operatives running deeper ops, the threat is real and growing. And in a world where former intelligence officers can so easily pivot into media, academia, and policy advising, the lines between national service and foreign influence can blur dangerously fast.

     The Sue Mi Terry case should be a wake-up call—not just for those inside the intelligence community, but for all of us. It’s a reminder that we need to be just as focused on the subtler forms of espionage as we are on the dramatic ones. After all, the most dangerous spy is the one who doesn’t look like a spy at all.

     Let’s hope the real-life CIA spymasters are watching just as closely as readers of Corey Pearson’s exploits.

 

Robert Morton is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC). He also writes the Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster Series, which blends his knowledge of real-life intelligence operations with gripping fictional storytelling. His work offers readers an insider’s glimpse into the world of espionage, inspired by the complexities and high-stakes realities of the intelligence community.