This feels like the regime is holding civilians ransom for celebrity, business or diplomatic encounters[1][2]. I appreciate that when these types of events have happened in the past, they have brokered for civilians being freed, but we should be careful as this trade becomes too commonplace.

Note: the article speculated as to the connection with a recent US civilian arrest.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/world/asia/06korea.html?pa...

[2] http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/27/north-korea-us-p...

If all it takes is a diplomat to visit and give the DPRK government some face, that is much cheaper than war. Its amazing what face can accomplish in Asia.

The 'dear leader' of DPRK has always been a man who wants to be revered and responds aggressively in public to criticism.

Who really knows what these visits by high profile figures accomplishes behind closed doors? If nothing else, exposing Kim Jong-Un or just his inner circle to different thinking plants seeds.

It's very slow. Isolation doesn't work to promote openness.

Kim Jong Un has only been dictator of the DPRK for one year. I think you're mixing him up with his Father, Kim Jong Il. Jong Un is only 28 or 29 and was educated in Switzerland as a teenager.

My point is that each leader displays similar traits and is expected to act/react in a certain way

He is still following "the script." Let's see what happens when he gets a little bit more clout and confidence and is ready to step out of his dad and grandfather's shadow.

A million for defence, not a penny for tribute.

Tribute no, but diplomacy is a different thing.

On the other hand, Myanmar's opening has been surprisingly successful. Kim Jong Un has made a remarkably public commitment to an agenda of peace and economic reform; while we shouldn't be too trusting or accept it at face value until it's backed up with meaningful actions, there's certainly cause for optimism.

I think Mr Un is absolutely spot on with his agenda but he's got to unravel many years of crazy before him without getting knocked off himself.

Mr Kim*

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_name

Thanks didn't know that :)

sortable as well!

Very true. This is why I expect him tocontinue with the occasional missile test or fire-breathing speech for domestic consumption.

I'm guessing Eric Schmidt -> Google -> YouTube -> Gangnam Style.

On my plane back from Detroit to Beijing, there was this nice old man going around shaking everyone's hands. When I saw him, I realized that it was President Jimmy Carter. Now what sort of secret mission did he have in Beijing I wonder? At least now I can say I shook hands with a president!

A more efficient path through that graph: http://cdn1.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/6699501/A3x6ld8C...

NORTH Korea...

I'm sure NK is probably against internet anonymity (for those allowed online), so he'll find plenty of comrades in arms over there.

Better DNA test him before and after :-)

Haha :)

Come back in 1 piece! :P

I would guess Schmidt is much less interested in doing business with North Korea and much more interested in currying favor with other governments. Obama himself may have asked him to make this trip and it could go a long way toward softening ties between China and Google as well - depending on the results.

Why would obama give a shit about the feelings of the dictator of NK?

Because, as would any President of the United States, he cares about prosecuting his policy objectives as effectively as possible on a national and international level?

North Korea has the ability to cause a lot of problems for a lot of allies and the United States itself. For example, it's rumored that billions of dollars in extremely high-quality fake US currency (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdollar) have been leaking out of North Korea.

That's why you care about what's going on inside that country and not, say, Burkina Faso.

I wonder if Schmidt would actually work with North Korea because while it could be profitable, it kind of goes against Google's "Don't Be Evil" motto given that North Korea is one of the biggest violators[1] of human rights on the planet.

1- http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/06/14/the-ongoing-...

Have you read the speech from Kim Jong Un that prompted the trip? There's a bit of the military worship and grandstanding you'd expect, but it's shockingly progressive. Besides pushing for reaching global standards in education, science and technology, he's actually calling for peaceful discussions with South Korea about reunification, and removing the barriers for that.

Kim Jong Un has barely been in power for a year, is not even thirty, and was educated in Switzerland. He's also a bit unknown, in that he was fairly well hidden from the world (seriously, it's kind of frightening). There is an actual, real chance that he wants to push for a peaceful reunification, something that would be amazingly good for the world. If he really wanted to do that one of the huge barriers is how polarized the two states are, both in terms of attitude towards each other and in terms of existing infrastructure. If reunification were to happen today it would probably destroy South Korea's economy, so if Kim Jong Un really wants peaceful unification he has to work to close the gap.

Which is why someone who doesn't want to do evil may be compelled to explore this option.

I'm skeptical Kim Jong-Un's speech prompted this trip. There's nothing to suggest the two things are linked.

But like you I'm optimistic that any change at the top could be a good thing.

> If reunification were to happen today it would probably destroy South Korea's economy

Hmm... well, personally, I have always thought that the whole "Don't be evil" thing was a case of protesting too much, on Google's part.

Have you heard of In-Q-Tel?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/07/16/156839...

http://www.corbettreport.com/meet-in-q-tel-the-cias-venture-...

How do you think Samsung feels about Agent Schmidt's visit?

I'm sure many US companies would love to see North Korea become more hospitable to the west.

A plausible near term goal might be running fiber over land between South Korea & China, which would probably be much cheaper than undersea cables.

Longer term, political capital in DPRK gives companies more bargaining power in the region. If North Korea opens up to Google searches, think how bad it would make China look. Since North Korea is smaller and more volatile, change can potentially happen there faster. If there is a power shift or change in policy, the guy running IT isn't necessarily out of power as well - so it doesn't hurt to have him advocating your position.

No government on earth can claim that they do not violate human rights, either in public, or in secret.

I guess Google can't do business with any government.

"one of the biggest violators of human rights on the planet."

But I thought Google isn't allowed to do _any_ evil.

Their motto is "Don't be evil," not "Do no evil." Perhaps you misremembered?

Fallacy of the absolute. There is no black and white, just lighter grays and darker grays.

Is the speed of light not absolute? If what you said was true, wouldn't the statement you made be an absolute?

There is no speed of light, it's just a conversion between space and time right?

I get tired of slippery slope everything is true or false arguments, I expect it on reddit but not really here.

How many different shades of gray are there?

How many rational numbers exist between 0 and 1?

At least six.