Google Boss Eric Schmidt Reportedly Headed To North Korea This Year

Here's a pretty interesting report: according to the Associated Press, Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt might be taking a trip to North Korea this year. Details are pretty slim, but according to the two sources the Associated Press spoke to, Schmidt won't be alone when he goes. He'll be accompanied by former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who has made the trek to North Korea more than a few times in the past.

Why is Schmidt packing up and going to North Korea? That remains unclear, but this trip could happen as early as this month. In his role as executive chairman of Google, Schmidt has met with lawmakers and governments around the world, so it doesn't seem too far of a stretch to assume that he'll be going to North Korea to talk about the country's Internet policies.

Those policies, as many of you already know, are among the most restrictive in the world. Google maintains that the Internet should be free and open, which it most certainly is not in North Korea. Perhaps Schmidt will look to change that with his visit to the country? We'll have to wait and find out – remember, this trip hasn't even been made official yet, so there's no telling what's really going to happen.

Google, for its part, refuses to comment on the speculation surrounding Schmidt's purported trip, telling Reuters "We do not comment on personal travel." That statement could be a sign that Schmidt's alleged trip isn't business-related, so there's still plenty of mystery enveloping this visit. If this rumor is legitimate, then we should be finding out more about it soon, so stay tuned.