Google Honcho Schmidt to Visit North Korea

One of the titans of the World Wide Web is headed to one of the few places on Earth where the Internet isn't so world-wide: Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, will be joining former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on a humanitarian mission to North Korea, as early as this month, reports the AP. As there are no diplomatic relations between the two countries and heavy embargoes on North Korea, it's not clear who Schmidt might meet or what his goals for the visit—still unconfirmed—may be. But sparking speculation and interest is the North's new leader, Kim Jong Un, who called for a new "industrial revolution" for his impoverished country in his New Year's Day TV address.

"Perhaps the most intriguing part of this trip is simply the idea of it," says one analyst. "If Google is the first small step in piercing the information bubble in Pyongyang, it could be a very interesting development." Schmidt has long advocated using the Internet and mobile technology to help the poor and politically oppressed, with a new book on the subject, The New Digital Age, due to be published in April. (More Eric Schmidt stories.)