Richardson and Schmidt in North Korea on “a private humanitarian mission”

Posted on : 2013-01-08 15:41 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Google chairman and former governor hope visit signals more openness to come from North Korea
 Eric Schmidt (right) and Jared Cohen (top) arrive in Pyongyang Sunan airport from Beijing on Jan. 7 at the start of their private trip. (AP/Yonhap News)
Eric Schmidt (right) and Jared Cohen (top) arrive in Pyongyang Sunan airport from Beijing on Jan. 7 at the start of their private trip. (AP/Yonhap News)

By Park Min-hee, Beijing correspondent

On Jan. 7, Eric Schmidt, Bill Richardson, and the rest of the delegation arrived in North Korea. Schmidt is chairman of Google, the world’s largest internet firm and Richardson is a former governor of New Mexico.

At 1:40 pm, the nine members of the delegation, led by Richardson, departed from Beijing, China for Pyongyang, North Korea, on Air China flight CA 121. While in the North, they are planning to assess North Korea’s food supply and economic situation and discuss the release of Kenneth Bae (Korean name Pae Jun-ho), who is currently detained in the North. Speaking to reporters at Beijing Airport, Richardson described the trip as “a private humanitarian mission”.

Though reporters pressed Schmidt about the purpose of his visit to the North, the only thing he said before passing through immigration and boarding the plane was that he had “no comment”.

“I hope that Schmidt’s visit to North Korea signals an opening in the North’s economy,” said Richardson’s advisor Tony Namkung, a former professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Tony played an important role in organizing the trip.

The group is planning to return to Beijing on an Air Koryo (North Korea’s flagship airline) flight on Jan. 10. Richardson and Schmidt’s visit to the North comes at a sensitive time: before the launch of US President Barack Obama’s second term and the inauguration of South Korean president-elect Park Geun-hye. Additionally, the UN Security Council is now considering harsher sanctions against the North because of its long-range missile launch in December.

Schmidt has had little to say so far, declining to comment on the reason for the delegation’s trip, which is being carefully watched around the world.

Richardson said the trip is “not connected to the US government,” reiterating that the delegation is “not representing the US government.” Nevertheless, it is inevitable that the visit’s message - and outcome - will attract interest.

Since North Korea invited Schmidt, chairman of Google, to visit, there is also speculation that the North will indicate growing openness to economic development and liberalization.

“I got in contact with North Korea about two months ago. The North Korean diplomatic corps invited us to come, which got the ball rolling for our visit,” said Namkung on the same day. Namkung served as the intermediary for planning the visit to the North. “I’m not sure why Schmidt is interested in North Korea. I guess we’ll find out when we get there.”

Richardson said that he wants to look into the humanitarian situation in the North and to determine the status of the American citizen who is being detained there on charges of “hostile acts”. He acknowledged that negotiations for the release of Bae, “will be difficult”.

When asked whether he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Richardson said it was unlikely. “We are going to meet with North Korean officials in the areas of diplomacy, national defense, and the economy.”

In response to the US government’s concerns that this is not the right time to visit the North, Richardson emphatically said, “I’m just as concerned about the North’s missile launch, and I hope that they will refrain from nuclear testing.”

The results of the delegations four-day visit are scheduled to be revealed on Jan. 10 in Beijing.

 

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

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