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On a trip to South Korea, Google Chairman, Eric Schmit, sought to ease concerns it would give preferential treatment to Motorola, after aquiring the handset maker for 12 and a half billion dollars. He was aiming to reassure the likes of Samsung and HTC, saying the search giant will keep the Android software free for mobile phone makers even after completing the acquisition.

Google Chairman Eric Schmidt says the company’s widely-used Android mobile software will not be affected by its planned purchase of handset maker Motorola.

Eric Schmidt said: "With all of our partners, we told them that the Motorola deal will close and we will run it sufficiently independently that it will not violate the openness of Android."

Google is buying Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion in cash, to bolster the adoption of its Android mobile software. This has raised concerns from other handset makers, who worry they will take a backseat to Motorola.

The former Apple board member refused to comment on criticism from the late Steve Jobs, who said in his autobiography that Android was a stolen product.

Eric Schmidt said: "I’ve decided not to comment on comments that have been written in a book after his death. I don’t think it’s right. Steve is a fantastic human being and someone whom I miss very dearly. As a general comment, I think most people would agree that Google is a great innovator and I would also point out that the Android effort started before the iPhone effort."

Schmidt is in South Korea to meet partners like Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and mobile carriers SK Telecom and KT Corp.

He also met President Lee Myung-bak, and says Google will open a channel dedicated to Korean pop on YouTube.

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