Skip to main content

Schmidt in North Korea: Google executive gets to watch students using….Google

Eric Schmidt probably didn’t expect to see anyone using Google on his four-day trip to North Korea this week. After all, isn’t this supposed to be one of the most closed countries on the planet, a place where the authorities control the flow of information so tightly its citizens know little of the outside world?

But on a visit to the nation’s top university on Tuesday, the Google chairman was apparently introduced to a student using the search engine to look for the Cornell University website.

According to the Associated Press, Schmidt spent time talking with students using HP desktop computers at an ‘e-library’ at Pyongyang’s Kim Il-sung University.

The Google executive is in the country in a private capacity, accompanying former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who is apparently hoping to talk with the authorities about US citizen Kenneth Bae, who has been detained in the country since last month.

Richardson is a familiar figure for many of those in the North Korean regime, having made many visits to the country over the years. On this visit he said his delegation would probably meet with political, economic and military leaders.

Jared Cohen, director of the Google Ideas think tank, is also on the trip. This from AP: “Cohen asked a student how he searches for information online. The student clicked on Google – “That’s where I work!” Cohen said – and then asked to be able to type in his own search: “New York City.” Cohen clicked on a Wikipedia page for the city, pointing at a photo and telling the student, “That’s where I live.” The look on the student’s face wasn’t reported.

Limited access

These students are among the privileged few, with the vast majority of the population having no access to the World Wide Web, or even ownership of a computer for that matter.

University librarian Kim Su Hyang told AP students there have been able to use the Internet since April 2010, when the e-library opened, though they’re only allowed to view educational materials.

In Pyongyang’s main library, computers are linked not to the World Wide Web but instead to what you might call the North Korean Wide Web, an Intranet service which provides access to material carefully chosen by North Korean officials. You won’t find Google on here.

Puzzling

Many have been puzzled by Schmidt’s presence as part of Richardson’s delegation. It’s known that the country’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, has spoken of his intention to develop the country’s science and technology capabilities, but to suggest he’d like to see the country increase the flow of information with increased Internet access seems far-fetched.

“If Pyongyang loses its control over information, the regime is doomed,” former state department spokesman PJ Crowley said recently. “The moment the average North Korean understands the gap between their lives and South Koreans’, the game is over.”

Perhaps Schmidt will reveal a little more at a press conference to be held later this week upon the delegation’s arrival at Beijing airport.

[Image: Antony McAulay / Shutterstock]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to change your language in Google Chrome on desktop
Chrome OS

Google Chrome supports a wide range of languages. While it'll default to English in most cases, there's nothing stopping you from changing its settings and displaying pages in Spanish, French, or dozens of other languages.

Changing your default language in Chrome takes only a few seconds, and the technique used is the same across Windows and Mac. Aside from changing your language, note that Chrome now gives you the option to automatically translate pages written in another language – making it easy to read content from around the globe.

Read more
23 of the best Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks
The Netflix home screen.

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming platforms for all things movies and TV shows. Home to an immense library of titles, the Netflix archive is constantly changing and evolving, and so are the many ways you can use your Netflix account. 

For instance, did you know you can access region-locked Netflix shows and flicks by using a VPN? Or that you can disable that pesky Autoplay feature? There are tons of Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks out there, so we’ve gone ahead and rounded up all of our favorites! 
Expand your streaming with a VPN

Read more
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more