The State Department Does Not Want Google's Eric Schmidt in North Korea

AP
Connor Simpson 3,449 Views Jan 3, 2013

Your dreams of a Google in North Korea (and the hilarious Google doodle potential therein) is not in jeopardy, but the State Department does not condone Bill Richardson and Eric Schmidt's big trip to North Korea, at least not right now. The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Richardson and Schmidt were planning a trip to North Korea some time soon — Richardson to discuss the detainment of Kenneth Bae, an American being held there, with North Korean officials; Schmidt presumably to meet with officials about bringing Google to North Korea, "one of the last frontiers of cyberspace," in some capacity. 

But the State Department would prefer they stayed away from North Korea completely. "We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Thursday. The State is worried about "tensions" in the region after North Korea's big "satellite" launch, the one that's still floating out of control. Of course, a lot of Western countries believe North Korea's satellite program is a cover for the development of a nuclear missile. But, these days, North Korea tries to launch a new "satellite" every eight months. When is peak season in North Korea, then?

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