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Scott, Welcome. What is your take on the Google visit? Well, I think it's a very significant visit.
We should not expect Google to be opening a Pyongyang office anytime soon, but I think the message
that Eric Schmidt sent to North Korea is very important.
Currently, one of North Korea's biggest priorities is to attract foreign direct investment as
part of its plan to build a stronger and more prosperous country. The number one complaint
from investors doing business there (including the Chinese) is that you can't bring a cell
phone to North Korea, and you're can't access the Internet at all. Mr. Schmidt was in a
unique position to deliver the message that by closing down the Internet, not allowing
mobile phones, and restricting the use of information technology; North Korea is impeding
its own ability to attract foreign investment, and therefore build a more robust economy.
How does that sync with the New Year's message of Kim Jong-un emphasizing the development
of North Korea's science and technology sectors? And how has the visit been represented by
the North Korean media? The visit has been played out in North Korea
as a showcase; as a great opportunity. Look at these groups from the outside world coming
here. They took Mr. Schmidt to some of the universities in order to show him how North
Korea uses an "Intranet" and other information technology systems. Of course, these systems
are not nearly as widespread as they were projected to be.
However, we should consider this in the broader context of North Korea's current goals. Last
year Kim Jong-un stated that he wanted North Korea using tools such as the Internet in
order to seek development information from the rest of the world. The biggest priority
mentioned in the New Year's address was development of the economy and the science and technology sectors.
The use of information technology is very much in line with North Korea's goals.
The use of information technology is very much in line with North Korea's goals.
The important thing to remember, though, is that North Korea's main concern remains control
over the domestic population. That means making sure North Koreans have as little information
as possible about the outside world, as that information is considered to be corrosive.
The North is walking a tightrope between its attempt to leverage information technology
(particularly cell phones, which have really expanded there in the last five years) and
its desire to maintain control over its population while preventing any sort of outside media
coming in and having a disruptive impact on its population.