The US has criticised a planned visit to North Korea by Google chairman Eric Schmidt, calling it ill-timed in the wake of Pyongyang's rocket launch last month.
Mr Schmidt - whose company has the unofficial motto of "Don't Be Evil" - plans to visit the isolated nation with former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, a veteran troubleshooter on North Korea. Mr Richardson has been to North Korea a number of times and has been involved in negotiating the release of detained US citizens.
The visit comes weeks after Pyongyang confirmed the arrest of a US citizen of Korean descent for unspecified crimes.
Pyongyang has in the past agreed to hand detainees over to high-profile negotiators such as former US president Bill Clinton, and some observers said it may have requested Mr Schmidt's participation in this case.
US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Mr Schmidt and Mr Richardson were "well aware" of Washington's lack of enthusiasm for the mission. "We don't think the timing of this is particularly helpful ... in light of recent actions by (Pyongyang)," she said.
Pyongyang defended its long-range rocket launch last month as a scientific mission aimed at placing a satellite in space, but the international community saw it as a disguised ballistic missile test that flagrantly violated UN resolutions.
Ms Nuland said Mr Schmidt and Mr Richardson would be visiting in an "unofficial capacity", while Google has refused to confirm the visit.
Asked whether the US would be happy to see Google help North Korea build its internet infrastructure, Ms Nuland said all US companies were subject to US economic sanctions against North Korea.
