“Google Inc’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, will travel this year to reclusive North Korea, where Internet use is subject to some of the world’s tightest controls, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Schmidt, one of the highest-profile leaders of the U.S. technology industry, could visit as early as this month, the AP said. The announcement was made days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the third member of his family to rule the country since its inception in the Cold War, signalled a willingness to improve relations with South Korea,” Reuters reports. “The AP cited two people familiar with his plans as saying the ex-Google CEO will join a private group led by former United Nations Ambassador and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, a frequent visitor to North Korea.”
“It was unclear whom Schmidt will meet or what his agenda might be, the AP reported. Internet access is largely restricted to all but the most influential officials of the reclusive state. Media content is also rigidly controlled,” Reuters reports. “Google did not directly respond to a question about whether Schmidt was going to North Korea, although a spokeswoman’s response suggested a visit would not be for company business.”
MacDailyNews Take: Who better to get info out of the DPRK black hole than Eric T. Mole?
Reuters reports, “Schmidt, Google’s main political and government relations representative, has also been a prominent supporter of President Barack Obama.”
MacDailyNews Note: Eric Schmidt serves as an advisor on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). PCAST is an advisory group of scientists and engineers who directly advise the president and the executive office of the president. The current PCAST group was originally established through Executive Order 13226 and restablished by President Barack Obama.
Schmidt is writing, with former U.S. state department official Jared Cohen, a book due in April called ‘The New Digital Age.’ It will address how the Internet and technology can empower people and drive fundamental social, political and economic change. ‘Perhaps the most intriguing part of this trip is simply the idea of it. The restricted control of information lies at the heart of the DPRK state and yet it is about to host one of the West’s greatest facilitators of borderless information flows,’ said Victor Cha, a senior adviser and Korea expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Send in the Mole! He got info out of Steve Jobs’ Apple fortress; the DPRK information bubble doesn’t stand a chance.
Hope he stays there.
I was thinking the same thing, you beat me to it!
+1000000 🙂
=:~)
SLIME! Pure Slime. This guy must be one hell of a politician to squirm his way into Apple and the US Gov. If I ever met him, I’d have to take a chemical burn shower over and over just to wash away the filth.
What are the odds that South Korea “Accidentally” shoots that plane down?
Hearing all the shit that falls out of Schmidt’s face when he opens his ballwasher, I’d be surprised if it wasn’t friendly fire.
I don’t know if North Koreans have seen “The Host” but I’m sure Schmidt’s arrival will be reminiscent of a monster attack.
LOL. And you’re prize is an all expense paid trip to NORTH KOREA! With all the kim-chee you can eat!
Don’t forget to get your shots Eric. And pack a lunch!
… and don’t forget to get your hair styled and new pair of glasses while you’re there!
Oh, c’mon. He inst’ that bad. His performance in Raiders of The Lost Ark alone, makes him ok in my book. Especially the melting face part at the end.
Don’t get too close to the DMZ!?!
What better way for both North Korean and it’s leader Kim Jong-un to spy on and manipulate it’s people. Android is open and easy to hack into. An Apple iOS devices would just slow them down.
Google and North Korean are made for each other. Go Eric go!
Hey, easy y’all. They are simply updating this scene…..
North Korea is the most fascinating corner of the planet. There is no place in the world as extreme; not Cuba, not Venezuela, none of the former Soviet -stans (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kahakhstan, Uzbekistan…). There are totalitarian dictatorships around the world, but none are anywhere near the totalitarian mind control of the DPRK. In terms of standard of living, the country is presently at the level of where developed world was in 1940s. Average household has electricity, with a refrigerator, radio, TV set (tube, not LCD), but no dishwasher, no washing machine, no car, no computer, no cellphone… Many don’t even have landline phones. Not a single shred of information comes from anywhere outside. Everything people know has come from the government-controlled sources. Large percentage of population is on the brink of starvation. Yet, vast majority genuinely believes that their standard of living is significantly better than the rest of the world, and certainly better than the “capitalist” world, where the workers are shamelessly exploited by the rich fat owners… Small percentage of population is wealthy enough to be able to save up (for years) to buy a VCR, which allows them to watch smuggled bootleg tapes of South Korean soap opera shows (possession of which is illegal and punishable by jail sentence!), but many still believe those are make believe stories and real life is actually extremely harsh.
There is absolutely NOTHING that Apple can offer to the country at this point. However, they just may be ripe for Google to swoop in. If there is any way that Google can make technology available and accessible to the locally affluent (in very relative terms, mind you), it just might bring the land into the new century. Who knows, ten years from now, Apple might be even opening their first store in Pyongyang…!
What Google has to gain in the DPRK is cheap, clandestine slave labor for its (and maybe Samsung’s) manufacturing. It’s already speculated that some of Samsung’s manufactured parts secretly come from the DPRK. Since Samsung basically controls South Korea’s government, if they can get cooperation from the DPRK who’s to know what crosses the border in the dark of night? Would Google get involved in something like this? With connections in the US government, and connections in the South Korean government, what’s to stop them? Ethics? Really?
…none of the former Soviet -stans (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kahakhstan, Uzbekistan…)
You forgot Kakastan, Virustan, Dellistan, RIMistan, Microstan, etc…
Eric Schmidt, the new Manchurian Candidate? He should be watched closely if he returns from North Korea.
He should be watched closely no matter where he goes. Mr. pink cowboy hat is creepy. Certainly wouldn’t want him working as a mall Santa Claus.
For a good laugh … I can’t post the link while at work, but go to Youtube and search for funny korea parade parody. It’s a funny commercial from Delta Lloyd insurance. Eric will be out slimed by the latest of a dynasty of egotistical, repressive oriental leaders who must save face above all. Except for the black market, radios and TVs used in NK are hard wired for receiving only state run broadcast channels. Perhaps Eric will say, “Google has an filter app for that” and then find out that Google’s IP will be reversed engineered by an empire that is evil has no need to be accountable to anyone.
My first thought is maybe North Korea will keep Schmidt and not let him out. We could only be so lucky.
My second thought is: what the hell is Schmidt doing as a technology advisor to Obama. Although this really shouldn’t surprise me since scheming, two-faced, slimebags tend to attract one another.
Ignoring your last sentence, I think Eric T. Mole was sent there as someone who thinks he knows technology and who talks a great line, so he’d be perfect to set the DPRK back a few years as he shows them how to tool up for phone/tablet technology that will rival Samsung.
Surely, he’s going over there to show/teach them how to really spy on their citizens … with or without the internet.
President Schmidt anyone? Maybe not 2016, but 2020 is a possibility. I think he will run one year.
Well everyone even the US State Dept.is calling his visit “unhelpful”.My question is to whom?
Evil entities attract so DPRK & Google are a perfect fit. Hopefully they get into a literal shooting match over who is the MOST evil.