Stephen Kim

In July 2015, former State Department intelligence analyst Stephen Kim was released after serving 11 months in federal prison. Once a rising star and leading expert on North Korea and nuclear disarmament, Kim fought the US government’s harsh prosecution for four years before pleading guilty to charges of mishandling classified information in violation of the Espionage Act. After losing his home, family, friends and career, Stephen recounts his time in prison and contemplates what to do with the beginning of the rest of his life. Filmed several months after Stephen’s return from prison, The Release is a follow-up to The Surrender.

In August 2010, Stephen Kim, a highly-regarded State Department intelligence analyst, was indicted under the Espionage Act for jeopardizing national security by allegedly divulging classified information to a reporter. Despite numerous officials in the State Department describing Kim's disclosure as nothing extraordinary, he faced 10 to 15 years in prison if convicted at trial. The Surrender intimately documents Stephen Kim's struggle to understand the events leading up to his prosecution as well as his last free days before prison.