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A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom
Felix Abt is a serial entrepreneur and, at times, a coach, trainer, and consultant. Over the course of his career, he has developed and managed a wide range of businesses across multiple countries and industries. He has served as a senior executive at multinational corporations including the Swiss-Swedish ABB Group (a global leader in automation and power technologies), F. Hoffmann-La Roche (a world leader in healthcare), and the Zuellig Group Inc. (a major Asian distribution and trading conglomerate). In addition, he has worked with small and medium-sized enterprises in both established and emerging markets.
As an investor and company director, Felix has deepened his expertise across diverse sectors. His professional journey has taken him to nine countries on three continents—including Vietnam and North Korea. His guiding principle abroad has been to observe and learn rather than to judge, lecture, or impose personal views.
He has also built significant experience in capacity building, organizing and conducting training programs from Spain to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, and North Korea. A source of pride has been seeing many of his former employees in these countries go on to build successful businesses of their own.
In North Korea, Felix made history as the founding president of the country’s first foreign chamber of commerce, where he advocated for reform, a level playing field, and against punitive foreign sanctions. His first book, A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom, recounts this period—arguably the most challenging yet rewarding of his career.
During those seven years, he witnessed and sometimes contributed to countless “firsts” in the world’s most isolated and misrepresented country:
-the first fast-food restaurant selling “happy meals”
-the first Western-style café serving gourmet coffee
-the first legal markets, advertising, debit card, and technocrats managing state enterprises
-the introduction of miniskirts, high heels, and branded goods like Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty bags
-the emergence of small private businesses, private farming, and a growing middle class
-the launch of the first business school (which he co-founded and led), the first e-commerce initiative (with North Korean painters), the first quality pharmacy chain, and the first software joint venture exporting award-winning medical software
-modernization of local industry, including ABB robotics and mine-safety projects that saved lives
Yet, his greatest disappointment was the failure of his pet project—electrifying rural provinces to lift millions out of poverty—derailed by foreign intervention. His greatest satisfaction was helping prevent accidents in the mining sector and ensuring access to affordable, locally produced medicines before sanctions shut down these efforts.
Felix was a shareholder in several legitimate joint ventures in North Korea—spanning pharmaceuticals, food, garments, and software—that were ultimately forced into bankruptcy by UN sanctions in the mid-2010s.
Politically neutral by conviction, he does not espouse partisan views on North Korea. However, he is outspoken against the widespread bias and inaccuracies in international reporting on the country. Drawing on first-hand experience, he works to provide a more balanced perspective—through his books A Capitalist in North Korea and A Land of Prison Camps, Starving Slaves and Nuclear Bombs?
As an investor and company director, Felix has deepened his expertise across diverse sectors. His professional journey has taken him to nine countries on three continents—including Vietnam and North Korea. His guiding principle abroad has been to observe and learn rather than to judge, lecture, or impose personal views.
He has also built significant experience in capacity building, organizing and conducting training programs from Spain to Egypt, Ivory Coast, Vietnam, and North Korea. A source of pride has been seeing many of his former employees in these countries go on to build successful businesses of their own.
In North Korea, Felix made history as the founding president of the country’s first foreign chamber of commerce, where he advocated for reform, a level playing field, and against punitive foreign sanctions. His first book, A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom, recounts this period—arguably the most challenging yet rewarding of his career.
During those seven years, he witnessed and sometimes contributed to countless “firsts” in the world’s most isolated and misrepresented country:
-the first fast-food restaurant selling “happy meals”
-the first Western-style café serving gourmet coffee
-the first legal markets, advertising, debit card, and technocrats managing state enterprises
-the introduction of miniskirts, high heels, and branded goods like Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty bags
-the emergence of small private businesses, private farming, and a growing middle class
-the launch of the first business school (which he co-founded and led), the first e-commerce initiative (with North Korean painters), the first quality pharmacy chain, and the first software joint venture exporting award-winning medical software
-modernization of local industry, including ABB robotics and mine-safety projects that saved lives
Yet, his greatest disappointment was the failure of his pet project—electrifying rural provinces to lift millions out of poverty—derailed by foreign intervention. His greatest satisfaction was helping prevent accidents in the mining sector and ensuring access to affordable, locally produced medicines before sanctions shut down these efforts.
Felix was a shareholder in several legitimate joint ventures in North Korea—spanning pharmaceuticals, food, garments, and software—that were ultimately forced into bankruptcy by UN sanctions in the mid-2010s.
Politically neutral by conviction, he does not espouse partisan views on North Korea. However, he is outspoken against the widespread bias and inaccuracies in international reporting on the country. Drawing on first-hand experience, he works to provide a more balanced perspective—through his books A Capitalist in North Korea and A Land of Prison Camps, Starving Slaves and Nuclear Bombs?
319 pages, Hardcover
First published December 16, 2012
31 people are currently reading
1462 people want to read
About the author
Felix Abt
3 books5 followersFelix Abt is a serial entrepreneur. He worked as a senior executive at multinational corporations such as the Swiss-Swedish ABB Group, a global leader in automation and power technologies; the F. Hoffmann-La Roche Group, a global leader in healthcare and the Zuellig Group Inc., a leading Asian distribution and trading group. He also worked with smaller and medium-sized enterprises, in both mature and new markets.
Thus far, he has lived and worked in nine countries, including Vietnam and North Korea, on three different continents.
His basis for going abroad was to learn and observe, not to pass judgment and not to propagate his personal views or to lecture – or even “liberate” – other people.
He is glad that he could gain experience in capacity building, by organizing and carrying out a diverse range of training courses, from Spain to Egypt to Ivory Coast to North Korea and Vietnam. He was pleased to see a number of his former employees in these countries become successful entrepreneurs in their own rights.
He also became a lobbyist (against all odds) as president of the first foreign chamber of commerce in North Korea, advocating for reforms and a level-playing field for all businesses and against strangulating sanctions by foreign powers.
His biggest disappointment in North Korea was that his pet project, electrifying North Korean provinces far from the capital to lift millions of North Koreans from poverty, was thwarted by the actions of foreign powers.
His biggest satisfaction was to have contributed to the prevention of accidents and to save miners' lives by helping to modernize North Korean mines and to save countless more lives of North Korean patients thanks to locally made quality medicine at affordable prices, before foreign-imposed sanctions sabotaged these endeavors.
Felix Abt was a shareholder of several legitimate Joint Venture companies in North Korea (medicine, food, garments and software) which have been driven into bankruptcy by U.N. "sanctions" from the mid-2010.
Abt considers himself a politically neutral businessman and, therefore, does not share partisan views about North Korea but wants to contribute to a more objective view of the country.
To try and balance a one-sided narrative he has written not only ‘A Capitalist in North Korea’, but also a second book ‘A Land of Prison Camps, Starving Slaves and Nuclear Bombs?’
Thus far, he has lived and worked in nine countries, including Vietnam and North Korea, on three different continents.
His basis for going abroad was to learn and observe, not to pass judgment and not to propagate his personal views or to lecture – or even “liberate” – other people.
He is glad that he could gain experience in capacity building, by organizing and carrying out a diverse range of training courses, from Spain to Egypt to Ivory Coast to North Korea and Vietnam. He was pleased to see a number of his former employees in these countries become successful entrepreneurs in their own rights.
He also became a lobbyist (against all odds) as president of the first foreign chamber of commerce in North Korea, advocating for reforms and a level-playing field for all businesses and against strangulating sanctions by foreign powers.
His biggest disappointment in North Korea was that his pet project, electrifying North Korean provinces far from the capital to lift millions of North Koreans from poverty, was thwarted by the actions of foreign powers.
His biggest satisfaction was to have contributed to the prevention of accidents and to save miners' lives by helping to modernize North Korean mines and to save countless more lives of North Korean patients thanks to locally made quality medicine at affordable prices, before foreign-imposed sanctions sabotaged these endeavors.
Felix Abt was a shareholder of several legitimate Joint Venture companies in North Korea (medicine, food, garments and software) which have been driven into bankruptcy by U.N. "sanctions" from the mid-2010.
Abt considers himself a politically neutral businessman and, therefore, does not share partisan views about North Korea but wants to contribute to a more objective view of the country.
To try and balance a one-sided narrative he has written not only ‘A Capitalist in North Korea’, but also a second book ‘A Land of Prison Camps, Starving Slaves and Nuclear Bombs?’
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
January 4, 2014
THIS BOOK is truly different from all other North Korea books I have read so far and offers a completely new perspective from a human (and humanistic) point of view, trying to show life in the country without political or ideological coloring.
Indeed, unlike other authors Felix Abt prefers to stay apolitical and impartial when sharing his thoughts and memories of his extraordinary seven-year sojourn. His unbiased approach to North Korea is a provocation to all those who read and believe the wacky/scandalous and horrific North Korea stories (often with dodgy sourcing) that sell so well and that people readily believe.
For this reason Abt’s book will never get the same praise and is bound to sell only a fraction of “Nothing to Envy. Ordinary Lives in North Korea”. The latter is by far the best-selling North Korea book even though it has not much to do with today’s “Ordinary Lives in in North Korea” but very much with the lives of the depicted 6 defectors living in the worst crisis period (during the nineties) in the worst affected industrial city (Chongjin). Thanks to Abt’s book we learn how much North Korea has changed since then.
While he offers in his unique first-hand account insight into business interactions, he's sharing amazing observations about relations between men and women, North Koreans and foreigners, North Koreans and South Koreans and so on.
The account is also peppered with interesting anecdotes and stories about private life that do not typically receive attention in the western media.
This North Korea book also distinguishes itself by the 200+ photos taken by the author. Abt added more eye-opening North Korea images to a photo gallery here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/felix_ab...
His memoir is an absolute must-read for anybody interested in this reclusive country.
Indeed, unlike other authors Felix Abt prefers to stay apolitical and impartial when sharing his thoughts and memories of his extraordinary seven-year sojourn. His unbiased approach to North Korea is a provocation to all those who read and believe the wacky/scandalous and horrific North Korea stories (often with dodgy sourcing) that sell so well and that people readily believe.
For this reason Abt’s book will never get the same praise and is bound to sell only a fraction of “Nothing to Envy. Ordinary Lives in North Korea”. The latter is by far the best-selling North Korea book even though it has not much to do with today’s “Ordinary Lives in in North Korea” but very much with the lives of the depicted 6 defectors living in the worst crisis period (during the nineties) in the worst affected industrial city (Chongjin). Thanks to Abt’s book we learn how much North Korea has changed since then.
While he offers in his unique first-hand account insight into business interactions, he's sharing amazing observations about relations between men and women, North Koreans and foreigners, North Koreans and South Koreans and so on.
The account is also peppered with interesting anecdotes and stories about private life that do not typically receive attention in the western media.
This North Korea book also distinguishes itself by the 200+ photos taken by the author. Abt added more eye-opening North Korea images to a photo gallery here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/felix_ab...
His memoir is an absolute must-read for anybody interested in this reclusive country.
August 31, 2014
Like probably everyone else I have been horrified and angered by what I have read of the brutal regime in North Korea. I have ranted with the best of them how the evil perpetrators of human rights violations should be brought to book for throwing a large proportion of the population into concentration camps and viciously oppressing the remainder. BUT… having just read Felix Abt’s “A Capitalist In North Korea: Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom” I must admit to having my views rather moderated! Initially I was not prepared to accept any challenge to what I thought was my educated and informed understanding of the country, but Abt’s personal account, from first-hand experience, is very compelling. While he is not a concentration camp ‘denier’ (indeed he is often openly critical of the regime) he did help me put things in perspective and realize that 99.5% of the population are ordinary people just getting on with their lives in much the same way as people the world over. If, like me, you had a simplistic “North Korea = Bad” point of view you really should check out this book and be prepared to re-consider.
January 5, 2014
Honesty Should Be Rewarded Not Punished
The same way I was tired and bored 20/30 years ago of books about how bad China and Vietnam were, how they were the devil and the real hell on earth, all because their ideas and ways of doing things did not fit with those of that of the west. Now more and more from the west are flocking to China and Vietnam in search for work, China owns a lot of America and all the lies that were written 20/30 years ago have been forgotten. North Korea will be no different and it takes people like Felix Abt to go and actually experience it and then resist the temptation of bashing the country to bits in search for money, imagine after 7 years he could of written fake horror stories and made a fortune off of it, he would have become CNN'S favourite speaker for sure. Instead he gives an honest account of the positive and the not so positive things that he saw from an unbiast perspective, which shows throughout the whole book.
This is also a book I feel that any business person should start reading, especially those based/ already doing business in Asia as they may well find themselves doing business in North Korea in the future. In a world were the media lies to us on a regular basis and sells us manipulated information, let's support someone who has actually written something true and unbiast. As the title says he is a capitalist, making his way through a socialist state, it is an absoluteley brilliant read, I recommend this to anyone.
The same way I was tired and bored 20/30 years ago of books about how bad China and Vietnam were, how they were the devil and the real hell on earth, all because their ideas and ways of doing things did not fit with those of that of the west. Now more and more from the west are flocking to China and Vietnam in search for work, China owns a lot of America and all the lies that were written 20/30 years ago have been forgotten. North Korea will be no different and it takes people like Felix Abt to go and actually experience it and then resist the temptation of bashing the country to bits in search for money, imagine after 7 years he could of written fake horror stories and made a fortune off of it, he would have become CNN'S favourite speaker for sure. Instead he gives an honest account of the positive and the not so positive things that he saw from an unbiast perspective, which shows throughout the whole book.
This is also a book I feel that any business person should start reading, especially those based/ already doing business in Asia as they may well find themselves doing business in North Korea in the future. In a world were the media lies to us on a regular basis and sells us manipulated information, let's support someone who has actually written something true and unbiast. As the title says he is a capitalist, making his way through a socialist state, it is an absoluteley brilliant read, I recommend this to anyone.
June 15, 2022
I did not like this. At all. I especially hated the chapter about women (there's a picture captioned as 'an intelligent North Korean women' and he normalizes abuse and even jokes about it).
It has interesting chapters and insight, but I feel Abt takes everything lightly and makes absurd comparisons to prove NK isn't as bad as we think (i.e., comparing violence levels between NK and countries that are literally at war).
It has interesting chapters and insight, but I feel Abt takes everything lightly and makes absurd comparisons to prove NK isn't as bad as we think (i.e., comparing violence levels between NK and countries that are literally at war).
February 23, 2013
Let me make one thing clear upfront: this is actually a three-star book. Sure, it's a little rambly and somewhat lacking in focus, but it's pretty well written (I'd even say very well written for a self-published tome), and more importantly, it contains a lot of information that can't be found anywhere else about the myriad little ways in which North Korea has changed since the first western books about it were written. So if that sort of thing grabs you, you really won't want to miss this book, and you absolutely have my blessing to buy it.
That said, I can't quite bring myself to give the book the three stars it earned because the author comes across as such a jackass! I mean, you can trust me when I say that I'm actually completely receptive to the notion that all might not be doom and gloom in North Korea and that there's lots of propaganda on the western side as well, but Abt goes entirely overboard. His entire message seems to be that everyone else who has written a book about North Korea is misguided, and only he knows the real story. Never mind the way he slams all of the writers of older books about the country, Abt even manages to take potshots at more recent writers like Barbara Demick, whose work in her wonderful book of defectors' stories was painstakingly checked, cross-checked, and double-checked in the very best journalistic tradition (Abt, of course, argues against the points she makes in her book based solely on his own personal observations, but we're supposed to assume that that's somehow better). By contrast, former UK ambassador John Everard, who wrote a very recent book that also spoke out against the "doom and gloom" propaganda angle so common in western books about North Korea, managed to conclude that both his own observations and others' observations could be valid for different parts of the country and at different times throughout its history. For Abt, though, everybody else's work is necessarily "shaky," full of "patronizing falsehoods," and "Orwellian."
If the pooh-poohing of other writers of books about North Korea were the only issue, I probably could have overlooked it easily enough without wanting to throw the book at the wall. But Abt also smugly gives most of the westerners he worked with in the country an even worse sort of treatment, talking smack about them while only thinly disguising their identities so that readers can easily figure out who they are in real life (he goes so far as to talk about what one guy wrote on his Facebook page, and sneers at the way another was constantly looking for photo-ops with various dignitaries so that he could put the pictures on his website). The book also full of back-patting about how awesome he himself is by contrast: how he's able to recognize all sorts of cultural subtleties that other people fail to recognize, and how he's so much better a businessman as a result (there's even some musing about why no one ever asked him to do any spying while he was there, which made me laugh out loud). And as if that weren't bad enough, there's also a chapter filled with bizarrely worded "compliments" of various North Korean women, calling them "pretty and affable" or "charming and clever," in a way that seemed to be trying a little too hard to make it sound like he wasn't just salivating over them sexually but respected them for their brains too. (Thankfully, there are only a few moments of blatant salivating, although one of them is pretty eew-inducing: a picture of a woman he knew with the caption "Had there been 'Miss Juche' elections in North Korea, all foreigners would have elected this lady as Miss Juche.") And okay, maybe this is petty, but as a German speaker myself, I was also rubbed the wrong way by all of the Germanisms and other bits of odd English in the book ("lended support to the project," "the ideological bend," "after the many sleepless nights," "it allowed this only, if paid and declared as a gift," etc.), which would have been a problem easily solved by getting a native speaker to carefully edit it rather than arrogantly assuming it was of course perfect as it was.
So I knocked off a star for all of that crap. All in all, Abt comes across as someone you'd want to slap if you knew him in person, and that made reading his book, regardless of its interesting and valid insights, a real chore. Yes, western readers of books about North Korea will certainly want to read it, but please be forewarned and prepare to feel annoyed with the author when you do.
That said, I can't quite bring myself to give the book the three stars it earned because the author comes across as such a jackass! I mean, you can trust me when I say that I'm actually completely receptive to the notion that all might not be doom and gloom in North Korea and that there's lots of propaganda on the western side as well, but Abt goes entirely overboard. His entire message seems to be that everyone else who has written a book about North Korea is misguided, and only he knows the real story. Never mind the way he slams all of the writers of older books about the country, Abt even manages to take potshots at more recent writers like Barbara Demick, whose work in her wonderful book of defectors' stories was painstakingly checked, cross-checked, and double-checked in the very best journalistic tradition (Abt, of course, argues against the points she makes in her book based solely on his own personal observations, but we're supposed to assume that that's somehow better). By contrast, former UK ambassador John Everard, who wrote a very recent book that also spoke out against the "doom and gloom" propaganda angle so common in western books about North Korea, managed to conclude that both his own observations and others' observations could be valid for different parts of the country and at different times throughout its history. For Abt, though, everybody else's work is necessarily "shaky," full of "patronizing falsehoods," and "Orwellian."
If the pooh-poohing of other writers of books about North Korea were the only issue, I probably could have overlooked it easily enough without wanting to throw the book at the wall. But Abt also smugly gives most of the westerners he worked with in the country an even worse sort of treatment, talking smack about them while only thinly disguising their identities so that readers can easily figure out who they are in real life (he goes so far as to talk about what one guy wrote on his Facebook page, and sneers at the way another was constantly looking for photo-ops with various dignitaries so that he could put the pictures on his website). The book also full of back-patting about how awesome he himself is by contrast: how he's able to recognize all sorts of cultural subtleties that other people fail to recognize, and how he's so much better a businessman as a result (there's even some musing about why no one ever asked him to do any spying while he was there, which made me laugh out loud). And as if that weren't bad enough, there's also a chapter filled with bizarrely worded "compliments" of various North Korean women, calling them "pretty and affable" or "charming and clever," in a way that seemed to be trying a little too hard to make it sound like he wasn't just salivating over them sexually but respected them for their brains too. (Thankfully, there are only a few moments of blatant salivating, although one of them is pretty eew-inducing: a picture of a woman he knew with the caption "Had there been 'Miss Juche' elections in North Korea, all foreigners would have elected this lady as Miss Juche.") And okay, maybe this is petty, but as a German speaker myself, I was also rubbed the wrong way by all of the Germanisms and other bits of odd English in the book ("lended support to the project," "the ideological bend," "after the many sleepless nights," "it allowed this only, if paid and declared as a gift," etc.), which would have been a problem easily solved by getting a native speaker to carefully edit it rather than arrogantly assuming it was of course perfect as it was.
So I knocked off a star for all of that crap. All in all, Abt comes across as someone you'd want to slap if you knew him in person, and that made reading his book, regardless of its interesting and valid insights, a real chore. Yes, western readers of books about North Korea will certainly want to read it, but please be forewarned and prepare to feel annoyed with the author when you do.
January 27, 2013
Loved this! Far from the usual doom and gloom you can read about North Korea, this book shows a side of the country that's much more relatable for the average Westerner. Sure, the focus is mainly on life in Pyongyang, while life in the countryside is probably much harsher (the situation is pretty much the same in my native Russia), but I really enjoyed descriptions of North Koreans' daily lives and of what it's like to do business in such an environment. Highly recommended book!
July 21, 2014
I’ve read 10 North Korea books so far, but this one is the most exciting one. It also shows the many aspects of life (and business) in North Korea I did not find elsewhere. The author’s experiences as a business man there amazed me and the numerous obstacles he had to overcome were mind-boggling. This is definitely a 5-star book.
I’ve just discovered the author’s North Korea photo gallery which is the best I have seen about North Korea so far: http://northkoreacapitalist.tumblr.com
I’ve just discovered the author’s North Korea photo gallery which is the best I have seen about North Korea so far: http://northkoreacapitalist.tumblr.com
April 20, 2024
This 2012 book seemed to be, at least in part, an attempt to rehabilitate North Korea's reputation after Barbara Demick's 2009 book Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. Of course, Abt, a Swiss pharmaceuticals businessman, doesn't pretend the dictatorship is a good thing. He just argues it's not quite as bad as Demick portrayed. I have no idea whose portrayal is more accurate.
The book description explains, "Author Felix Abt is a politically neutral businessman and, therefore, does not share partisan views about North Korea. He is, however, critical of unfair North Korea reporting and does what he can to contribute to a more objective view of a country he knows much better than the journalists and bloggers writing about it. Abt is a former investor at several legitimate Joint Venture companies in North Korea which are now being driven into bankruptcy by U.N. "sanctions.""
Translation: there are business opportunites in North Korea. Westerners can make money there. But they can't make money if heavy sanctions are imposed. Abt isn't pro-tyranny per se, he's just pro-business. That requires looking away from political repression.
p. 43: In the 90s, power shortages and lack of logistics made North Korea's food shortages even worse. Up to 20% of annual harvests rot in the fields because agricultural machines and transports are out of order, lacking spare parts and fuel.
p. 48: N. Korea is China's second-largest coal supplier.
p. 55: "In her book, Demick...claims that "Gone with the Wind" is a dangerous, banned book." [I read Nothing to Envy and I don't remember her writing that exact sentence, and I couldn't find it in the book.] "But I saw people reading the novel at the Grand People's Study House in Pyongyang and in public libraries in provincial capitals. The gap between Barbara Demick's Orwellian stereotypes and the reality on the ground is widening a little every year."
p. 71: Abt's business would order foreign literature, such as technical manuals, which government censors would come by to review. "The inspectors were always upright with us, not veering zealously from their set procedure. I respected them: they had a tought and rather invasive job and just wanted to do it right." !!
p. 78: One day Abt was horrified to see that the diazepam (Valium) his company sold was available in a hotel gift shop next to the snacks and souvenirs. "What a fantastic opportunity for a Western journalist to do some North Korea bashing, I thought."
p. 87: "Part of my success owed to my willingness to work with local people rather than pass judgment and get involved in politics. I built up a large network of contacts that helped shape our business for the socialist economy. Compare this approach to that of my predecessor, a close friend of the British ambassador, who was a staunch advocate of regime change. He didn't get access, of course."
p. 117: "As 70 percent of [North Korean defectors] remain jobless in South Korea, they can make a living by selling dubious information." (Demick's book was composed of defectors' stories.) "Although [the North Hamgyong province at the Chinese border] has only 10 percent of the country's total population, the overwhelming majority of defectors stem from this province. Their tales have disproportionately shaped North Korea's international image."
p, 150: North Korea is actually a big producer of fruits and vegetables. "Most of this produce was not mean for domestic consumption, but for export. It generated hard currency and helped pay for imports."
p. 151: He quotes from an Asia Times Online article: "North Koreans are still malnourished, and likely to remain so for the forseeable future. Nonetheless, they are not starving anymore - at least not in significant numbers."
p. 185: "Although illegal, plastic surgery has gained popularity in recent years among females from more affluent families in Pyongyang."
p. 222: "Despite the resulting improvements over poverty, women are still not allowed to use bicycles in Pyongyang." A senior official explained to Abt that this was because "a senior female party official had been killed in a traffic accident while riding a bicycle." Women could ride bicycles in the countryside.
p. 247: In a section titled "Tourist Attractions": "Visitors who would like to change their program by adding, for example, a dog meat restaurant or a school, should ask the Korean tour guides immediately upon arrival in Pyongyang so that they can make arrangements with the authorities."
p. 303: Around 2009 there was "massive inflation expressed in soaring food prices. In March 2010, Pak Nam Gi, the secretary of the planning and finance department of the Workers' Party, who was held responsible for the disastrous result, was shot by a firing squad, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap."
Abt ended on a positive, hopeful note. Despite young Kim Jong Un's purges of 2012-13, firing military leaders and having his uncle and regent Jang Song Taek executed, Abt believes much-needed reforms will be initiated. April 2013 saw "personnel changes" which "revealed a shift from the conservative military to the more reform-minded, civilian technocrats. This is a significant reform in a country where the official policy has been 'army first!' for more than a decade."
(Meanwhile, back in the real world, North Korea in the past few days is developing poison pens and sprays as part of a biological weapons program and says it tested a super-large cruise missile warhead, and Kim Jong Un just dropped a new song praising himself as North Korea's "friendly father").
Abt's writing at times was awkward, and needed more active editing: "Do Americans get brainwashed by cravings for McDonald's and Starbucks, seeing their logos smothered all over the country?"
"From the eighteeenth century onwards, chilis became a main ingredient, smothered in some form or another on kimchi and used in jjigae, or soups."
"North Koreans are also fond of all kinds of soup...These can vary from all sorts of kimchi stews, hot spicy fish soups, and even dog soup - all of which are lathered over a bowl of white rice and eaten."
"They were being kept away from preying authorities who would have loved to know what was stored on these accessories." (Prying?)
"I have also seen drivers getting out of their cars, shouting and yelling at the traffic police for perceived missives..." (mistakes?)
"North Koreans are staunch in their abeyance to right speech and right action..." (Obedience?)
"Everything was missing, in particular the men, as many of them died during the war," she bewailed.
August 2, 2014
It’s refreshing to find a book about North Korea that isn’t full of demonizing hyperbole. A true insight into a country that is largely misunderstood and misreported in the West. Mr Abt’s very personal experiences lend authenticity to a well-balanced account of both the bigger political and business picture in the republic, and day to day life for ‘regular’ people.
August 24, 2014
Having read several other books on North Korea already, I found this book extremely interesting, easy readable on one hand while also offering an in-depth view on the historical, political and of course the business parameters which define the current state of this isolated country.
Felix Abt offers a well-balanced approach to explain the self-perception of the North Korean people and their country, without judging in the typical political way which we see so often with other authors. This is just to name one of the many facets of this book but for me personally it was the most important. It is clear that the author's description is shaped by the experience of having lived and worked in North Korea for several years. So this book is not offering a so called 'objective journalistic' description.
However, it is exactly this experience (probably a unique one in the way that only a very small number of western managers so far have put themselves in the position from which they had to build up a profitable business operation, let alone in a sensitive and highly regulated field such as pharmaceuticals)which makes the "Capitalist in North Korea" a refreshing and highly informative piece of literature for every one who is interested in first-hand information from the inside of North Korea.
For someone like me who has build up a local operational business entity from the scratch too - but in comparison to Mr. Abt's location in a much more convenient business environment here in Asia - these seven years which the author has not endured but actively shaped for himself and the success of his company deserve my greatest respect.
Felix Abt offers a well-balanced approach to explain the self-perception of the North Korean people and their country, without judging in the typical political way which we see so often with other authors. This is just to name one of the many facets of this book but for me personally it was the most important. It is clear that the author's description is shaped by the experience of having lived and worked in North Korea for several years. So this book is not offering a so called 'objective journalistic' description.
However, it is exactly this experience (probably a unique one in the way that only a very small number of western managers so far have put themselves in the position from which they had to build up a profitable business operation, let alone in a sensitive and highly regulated field such as pharmaceuticals)which makes the "Capitalist in North Korea" a refreshing and highly informative piece of literature for every one who is interested in first-hand information from the inside of North Korea.
For someone like me who has build up a local operational business entity from the scratch too - but in comparison to Mr. Abt's location in a much more convenient business environment here in Asia - these seven years which the author has not endured but actively shaped for himself and the success of his company deserve my greatest respect.
August 14, 2014
It was greatly refreshing to read a first-hand account of what is really happening inside North Korea at the moment, rather than second-hand accounts of what was happening 15 or 20 years ago. Most of what I have read previously has been coming from one viewpoint and has focused on the shockingly grim years of the 1990s, when the country was ravaged by natural disasters, famine and millions died from starvation. I found Abt’s version of contemporary North Korea and its willingness to face change greatly encouraging. It would be nice to think that a few copies could make their way into the upper reaches of the White House and open a few eyes there!
August 31, 2014
I have read a great many biographies of trail-blazers and Felix Abt’s story of being a capitalist in that oh-so communist nation of North Korea is as intriguing and inspiring as any. His has an unwavering belief in capitalism as a potent and positive agent for change and development. I think people of any political or economic belief cannot fail to see after reading Mr Abt’s book that ‘free-enterprise’ is not necessarily a dirty word but can be a force for good under the direction of responsible and positive entrepreneurs like Mr Abt.
August 16, 2014
An entirely fresh perspective on North Korea and therefore a must-read!
“A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom” by Felix Abt has its detractors and you may not agree with everything (or anything) he says, but there is no doubt that this is a book written from a unique first-hand experience as a "capitalist" in an arch communist country and I believe it deserves to be read for that reason as much as any other.
“A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom” by Felix Abt has its detractors and you may not agree with everything (or anything) he says, but there is no doubt that this is a book written from a unique first-hand experience as a "capitalist" in an arch communist country and I believe it deserves to be read for that reason as much as any other.
September 1, 2014
Felix Abt is a true pioneer and his chronicle of serially setting up enterprises in a communist country, and not just a n y communist country but t h a t communist country, should be an inspiration to any ‘capitalist’ who feels ground down by his own daily trials and tribulations!
August 24, 2014
North Korea has been in the news a lot recently. Of course, much of the attention has been negative and rightly so--it's sort of a mess, one with threats of missile launches, nuclear weapons, and allegations of serious human rights violations. I was curious to read about the country and its people from the perspective of someone who had once, at least sort of, been an insider. I found it here! Felix Abt has written a comprehensive, honest piece about life in North Korea. He truly seems to write objectively, which is refreshing. His anecdotes and observations are so interesting, especially to someone who knows nothing about the region. Overall a great read and highly recommended.
July 21, 2014
I’ve always admired adventurers and pioneers and here I came across an amazing one penetrating fortress North Korea. Until now I’ve read only about starvation and concentration camps and was made believe that’s about all the ‘Hermit Kingdom’ is about, but the “Capitalist in North Korea” opened my eyes and showed me that most “Ordinary Lives in North Korea” are not as horrific as I’ve been told before. It’s a must-read for everybody seriously interested in this country.
March 29, 2013
I am not sure who Mr Abt has written this book for. He seems to assume that the reader will have no knowledge of North Korea, its history and people other than what they get from the Television news and therefore the message throughout the book is North Korea isn't that bad. The people aren't all crazy and the government stupid.
The other message that comes across loud and clear is that people should have listened more to Felix when he told them stuff.
All of this gives the book a tone of mother knows best, which is annoying. This is also not helped by the attacks on other writers such as the excellent Barbara Demick and on individuals who he worked with.
However he does provide a fascinating insight into how business is done and the working and social relationships between Koreans and Expats, which I have not seen detailed in any of the books I have read about North Korea. It is worthwhile reading for this alone.
The other message that comes across loud and clear is that people should have listened more to Felix when he told them stuff.
All of this gives the book a tone of mother knows best, which is annoying. This is also not helped by the attacks on other writers such as the excellent Barbara Demick and on individuals who he worked with.
However he does provide a fascinating insight into how business is done and the working and social relationships between Koreans and Expats, which I have not seen detailed in any of the books I have read about North Korea. It is worthwhile reading for this alone.
August 31, 2014
If it does nothing else “A Capitalist In North Korea” confirms that man is by nature a trader. That even under the strictest state controls private enterprises will emerge and people will find ways of eking out their existence by buying and selling. I was fascinated by this first-hand account of what is happening in North Korea and found the daring exploits of Felix Abt in the face of all kinds of difficulties truly inspiring.
November 26, 2014
There are many who, on a relentless diet of Western condemnation of all things North Korean, cannot stomach any view that does not unequivocally vilify the country. It seems to those with this mind-set that anyone, even if they roundly criticize the country’s governance, are characterized as having been blindly taken in by propaganda or labeled as a stooge or apologist if they attempt to cast an accurate light on the actual, contemporary state of affairs in the country rather than unconditionally trashing everything to do with it.
Felix Abt finds himself in just such a position; labeled by detractors as a ‘regime supporter’ for his work “A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom”. But, such a label is not merely inaccurate, but shows that those who are leveling it have missed the point of the book and read it unwilling to challenge their pre-conceptions. If one was to try and put a single label on Mr Abt, it would be far more germane to use John Feffer’s ‘agent of change’. Mr Feffer, as a widely respected writer, is undoubtedly better informed and less tendentious than the average reader and is able to recognize Felix Abt’s role in helping to bring responsible capitalism to North Korea and to try and improve safety and conditions for ordinary workers.
The business school that Mr Abt co-founded in North Korea taught putative business executives to build companies which would in themselves bring about positive change by creating jobs and generating income for workers. But it went a lot further, imbuing the students with the social and ethical responsibility which goes hand-in-hand with good business practice: paying decent wages, doing away with child labor, ensuring workers’ safety, protecting the environment, respecting contractual obligations. Several years on, the growth of private enterprise and associated job creation can be clearly seen in the country along with the implementation of the good practices taught at the school. Some of the school’s graduates also introduced truly pioneering business concepts. One, a bank director, introduced the first debit card and another became the CEO of the first advertising company. The latter might not sound that remarkable until one understands that formerly advertising had been banned as “anti-socialist” and is, therefore just one very tangible example of Mr Abt’s role not as a ‘regime supporter’, but an ‘agent of change’.
As those who have read the book will know Felix Abt was also president of the first foreign chamber of commerce in North Korea. This became a significant forum for change as he lobbied decision makers for reforms and the establishment of a level playing field for all businesses. The organization was increasingly listened to and changes implemented by those in power helped facilitate the development of businesses and all the associated benefits.
“A Capitalist in North Korea” contains many further examples of how Abt helped bring about change in the country; not to help line the pockets or enhance the power of the elites, but to improve the lot of workers and ordinary residents of the country:
He sold equipment, specifically safety gear, to mining concerns to modernize and improve the working conditions of the workforce and as the CEO of the first foreign-invested pharmaceutical factory the enterprise was the first to achieve an internationally acknowledged quality standard recognized by the WHO. Strange to many, and counter to the cynical, hard-nosed, profit driven image of foreign capitalists he shared the knowledge with his local competitors to help increase quality standards generally.
Neither of these two examples in any way helped the regime in itself; either its members personally or in terms of control of the populace: members of the elite weren’t in danger from dying from working down mines nor were they likely to suffer from the consequences of treating illness with poor quality and ineffective medicines (they had ready access to expensive, imported brands). Doubtlessly people’s lives were not only improved, but also many lives were actually saved.
Labels are not always helpful, they are by definition simplistic, but if one has to allot one to Felix Abt is ‘regime supporter’ fair or accurate for someone who is critical, tried to bring about many changes and did nothing to benefit the members of the elites? Or in the light of what he actually did in North Korea is not ‘pioneer’ or John Feffer’s ‘agent of change’ far more pertinent and, indeed, factual?
Felix Abt finds himself in just such a position; labeled by detractors as a ‘regime supporter’ for his work “A Capitalist in North Korea: My Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom”. But, such a label is not merely inaccurate, but shows that those who are leveling it have missed the point of the book and read it unwilling to challenge their pre-conceptions. If one was to try and put a single label on Mr Abt, it would be far more germane to use John Feffer’s ‘agent of change’. Mr Feffer, as a widely respected writer, is undoubtedly better informed and less tendentious than the average reader and is able to recognize Felix Abt’s role in helping to bring responsible capitalism to North Korea and to try and improve safety and conditions for ordinary workers.
The business school that Mr Abt co-founded in North Korea taught putative business executives to build companies which would in themselves bring about positive change by creating jobs and generating income for workers. But it went a lot further, imbuing the students with the social and ethical responsibility which goes hand-in-hand with good business practice: paying decent wages, doing away with child labor, ensuring workers’ safety, protecting the environment, respecting contractual obligations. Several years on, the growth of private enterprise and associated job creation can be clearly seen in the country along with the implementation of the good practices taught at the school. Some of the school’s graduates also introduced truly pioneering business concepts. One, a bank director, introduced the first debit card and another became the CEO of the first advertising company. The latter might not sound that remarkable until one understands that formerly advertising had been banned as “anti-socialist” and is, therefore just one very tangible example of Mr Abt’s role not as a ‘regime supporter’, but an ‘agent of change’.
As those who have read the book will know Felix Abt was also president of the first foreign chamber of commerce in North Korea. This became a significant forum for change as he lobbied decision makers for reforms and the establishment of a level playing field for all businesses. The organization was increasingly listened to and changes implemented by those in power helped facilitate the development of businesses and all the associated benefits.
“A Capitalist in North Korea” contains many further examples of how Abt helped bring about change in the country; not to help line the pockets or enhance the power of the elites, but to improve the lot of workers and ordinary residents of the country:
He sold equipment, specifically safety gear, to mining concerns to modernize and improve the working conditions of the workforce and as the CEO of the first foreign-invested pharmaceutical factory the enterprise was the first to achieve an internationally acknowledged quality standard recognized by the WHO. Strange to many, and counter to the cynical, hard-nosed, profit driven image of foreign capitalists he shared the knowledge with his local competitors to help increase quality standards generally.
Neither of these two examples in any way helped the regime in itself; either its members personally or in terms of control of the populace: members of the elite weren’t in danger from dying from working down mines nor were they likely to suffer from the consequences of treating illness with poor quality and ineffective medicines (they had ready access to expensive, imported brands). Doubtlessly people’s lives were not only improved, but also many lives were actually saved.
Labels are not always helpful, they are by definition simplistic, but if one has to allot one to Felix Abt is ‘regime supporter’ fair or accurate for someone who is critical, tried to bring about many changes and did nothing to benefit the members of the elites? Or in the light of what he actually did in North Korea is not ‘pioneer’ or John Feffer’s ‘agent of change’ far more pertinent and, indeed, factual?
November 25, 2014
I thoroughly recommend this book as a very accessible and believable account of what life in North Korea is really like. The author, Felix Abt, does not try to put a gloss on the failings of the totalitarian regime, but you feel you are finally getting a balanced view of what is really happening behind all the secrecy. As he points out much of what we have heard before only looks at a particularly difficult period in North Korea in the 1990s (20 years ago) and nearly all reporting since then has been coloured by preconceptions from this period. Mr Abt brings us up to date and reveals a North Korea that is permitting change, slowly, but under its young foreign-educated leader, Kim Jong-un, there seems to be a willingness to embrace new ideas and ways of doing things. It will be interesting to see, as Mr Abt suggests, whether the North Koreans follow the models of Vietnam and China.
February 8, 2015
This book is close to being North Korean propaganda. There is virtually no criticism of the DPRK government, but rather Abt blames everything on Western sanctions that have arisen only because the DPRK is trying to defend itself from an "imperialist US." Even the language and word choice is alarmingly close to that approved by the WPK, with a hint of reverence for "the Dear Leader."
Abt did spend seven years in a slightly larger bubble than the one experienced by insulated foreign tourists. That makes for some interesting reading and challenging perspectives. But if one wants a genuine account of North Korea, there are numerous better books written by actual North Koreans that have seen behind the curtain. Those books, for the most part, paint a far, far less rosy picture than the one painted by Abt.
Abt did spend seven years in a slightly larger bubble than the one experienced by insulated foreign tourists. That makes for some interesting reading and challenging perspectives. But if one wants a genuine account of North Korea, there are numerous better books written by actual North Koreans that have seen behind the curtain. Those books, for the most part, paint a far, far less rosy picture than the one painted by Abt.
November 8, 2014
A Capitalist in North Korea: Seven Years in the Hermit Kingdom” is a well constructed account of conditions in present day North Korea by a man with the cojones ‘to boldly go’ where few capitalists have gone before. And I use the sci-fi allusion quite deliberately as setting up and running capitalist enterprises in such a staunchly socialist, anti-free enterprise (at the time, although as we learn from Mr Abt things are changing) environment is about as alien as setting up a fast-food outlet on the moon!
July 29, 2014
This book had my interest from the start. It is a combination of true life stories and realistic descriptions of the life of North Koreans. The pace is enjoyable, and the length of the book is perfect. Felix Abt did a great job of accomplishing what he had saw and learn while he was trying to do business in North Korea. This book is somewhat refreshing as a contrast to the doom and gloom of nearly every other DPRK-based book I've seen, which focus so heavily on refugees and political prisoners.
February 12, 2017
Much of the English language literature on North Korea is little more than polemics. Whether journalism, academic texts (often written by armchair academics who don't speak any Korean), memoirs, or fiction, these writings merely stereotype North Korea as the irrational, despotic "other" to the West's rational and ordered self. They are also inextricably linked to the US and its allies' policies of isolating the North, serving as the ideological rationalisation for such policies by portraying North Korea in simplistic terms of evil and darkness that one cannot reason or negotiate with.
And that's exactly why Felix Abt's A Capitalist in North Korea is such a breath of fresh air. Based on Abt's extensive on the ground experience as a businessperson and expatriate resident of Pyongyang (which none of the armchair pundits have), it portrays both the good, and bad of living and working in North Korea.
It was also refreshing to see North Koreans portrayed as individuals, each with their own unique personalities, hopes and dreams—a perspective which is sorely missing in most of the other accounts of North Korea.
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a serious interest in North Korea.
And that's exactly why Felix Abt's A Capitalist in North Korea is such a breath of fresh air. Based on Abt's extensive on the ground experience as a businessperson and expatriate resident of Pyongyang (which none of the armchair pundits have), it portrays both the good, and bad of living and working in North Korea.
It was also refreshing to see North Koreans portrayed as individuals, each with their own unique personalities, hopes and dreams—a perspective which is sorely missing in most of the other accounts of North Korea.
I highly recommend this book for anyone with a serious interest in North Korea.
November 26, 2014
A fascinating and eye opening book from start to finish. Please read this if your idea of North Korea is that everything about it is bad and evil. Felix Abt’s wonderfully informed version of real life in North Korea challenges nearly everything you will have read about the country before. I was fascinated not only with his stories of trying to set up and run all sorts of businesses, but also with the anecdotes about everyday life in North Korea. You really get to see how people actually live day to day and it makes you remember that a country is all about its people, whatever the politics and the sensational headlines.
September 11, 2014
The thing that drew me to reading this book was the topic. I thought it would be a fascinating look into a country I knew virtually nothing about. And it was fascinating. I learned a lot and was surprised a few times too. It's not all about business though, there are plenty of personal experiences shared. Good read. My only complaint is that some of the stories felt "short". Full Disclosure: I won this book in a giveaway!
October 28, 2017
I like the idea of this book much more than it's implementation. I enjoy anything that looks at North Korea from more than a military perspective, but it felt a little bit to me like Abt drank the regime's Kool-Aid and portrayed only the better side of things. Equally frustrating and entwined with this issue was that he was reporting anecdotes from the most privileged part of society and extrapolating to suggest that all of society was like the small bubble that he lived in. While he acknowledges hunger in his chapter on 'feeding the people' it seems like he forgets the inequalities he notes here throughout the rest of the book.
Abt's condescending commentary on other foreigners while touting his own accomplishments were distracting. I struggle with his portrayal of aid workers trying not to succeed because then they'd work themselves out of a job. (There are plenty of disasters and plenty of need in the world to keep aid employees at work forever... there's no need for this cynicism.
I do agree, in part, with his strongly held belief that a capitalist push and the opening of markets are the only things that can ultimately change this regime. However, the reality that economic sanctions and the Kaesong industrial center are also among the only political tools open to the US and South Korea is a complexity in the formula that Abt misses entirely.
Abt's condescending commentary on other foreigners while touting his own accomplishments were distracting. I struggle with his portrayal of aid workers trying not to succeed because then they'd work themselves out of a job. (There are plenty of disasters and plenty of need in the world to keep aid employees at work forever... there's no need for this cynicism.
I do agree, in part, with his strongly held belief that a capitalist push and the opening of markets are the only things that can ultimately change this regime. However, the reality that economic sanctions and the Kaesong industrial center are also among the only political tools open to the US and South Korea is a complexity in the formula that Abt misses entirely.
October 18, 2025
This book is weirdly defensive of North Korea. The memoir bits were really interesting, but the descriptions of women were creepy, and the finance-y business bits were dull and condescending. The author includes his own photos which are a highlight.
May 2, 2015
This should have been a really good insightful book. The tone was very annoying. Felix seems to be the only person who knows or understands anything. The insights might also have been good if more timely. Much would seem to have changed. I persevered through approximately the first half then just skimmed the second half. Uncomfortable with how "pro-North Korea" he seemed to be, that is so much at odds with other reads, accounts and lectures. But it is another perspective on a country few have visited, even fewer have worked in. So I guess if you are really interested give it a go, maybe the tone won't be so annoying to you.
November 29, 2014
I am full of admiration for Felix Abt, not only for his courage in being the ‘Capitalist in North Korea’ , but also for writing a book that clearly flies in the face of just about everything else we have read in the West about the ‘hermit kingdom’. This is a book you must read if you want to understand exactly what North Korea is all about, warts and all: put your prejudices to one side and be prepared to have your pre-conceptions turned on their head.
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