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Richardson to travel to N. Korea next week
Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson’s (D) office on Saturday confirmed that he would travel to North Korea next week on a “private humanitarian mission.”
Google’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, will accompany Richardson, according to a statement, along with staff members.
No reporters will be traveling with the group, but Richardson will hold a news conference on Thursday at the Beijing airport.Richardson, a former U.N. adviser, said Friday that the State Department "shouldn't be that nervous" about the trip.
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the State Department said it did not "think the timing of this is particularly helpful" and repeatedly underscored that the Obama administration had not sanctioned the visit.
"They are private citizens,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. “They are traveling in an unofficial capacity. They are not going to be accompanied by any U.S. officials. They are not carrying any messages from us.”
Richardson will try to meet with North Korean officials during the trip to discuss the recent arrest of an American citizen of Korean descent, according to the Associated Press.
Schmidt, who served as the CEO of Google for roughly a decade, is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a group comprised of top scientists and engineers that advise the president on science and tech policy.
He is also set to release a book in April with Jared Cohen, the director of Google Ideas and a former State Department official, that will explore how Internet technology will impact the future of politics, education, health, terrorism and policy.
Cohen is also traveling to North Korea, according to Richardson’s office.
