BEIJING (Reuters) - Former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt failed to secure the release of a Korean-American held in North Korea since December during a controversial trip to the secretive state.

Richardson told a media briefing at Beijing's airport on Thursday he was unable to meet Korean-American Kenneth Bae, who has been charged with unspecified crimes against the state.

He said he had expressed his concerns to North Korean authorities and had been assured of Bae's good health.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by David Chance and Paul Tait)