Swiss born Felix Abt recently wrote a book on North Korea that aims to challenges many of the North Korea stereotypes commonly held by Western media. Having spent seven years living and working in Pyongyang as a foreign businessman, Abt's biography looks at the nuances of North Korean life and their desires to connect with the outside world.

He started off by working for Swiss power and automation specialists ABB, but seeing the opportunity Abt went on to manage a pharmaceutical joint venture, establish the Pyongyang Business School, and raised a family in North Korea's capital city. Although living alongside what are undoubtedly North Korea's most privileged communities in Pyongyang, his pharmaceutical company work gave him access to far-flung areas in the countryside well beyond even the most probing tourist itineraries.