BIDDING farewell at the Pyongyang airport was the hardest thing I did in 2018. I felt sad parting ways with our fabulous local translators (one has a PhD from Cambridge, one is a medical doctor and researcher in stem cells, and another is a researcher in biotech), the fired-up 80 workshop participants, amazing workshop leaders and facilitators, and not forgetting the special permission granted to visit places out of tourists’ reach.

When I signed up for the Choson Exchange programme, founded by my dear friend Geoffrey See in 2007, I did not expect to experience emotional intensity during my visit to North Korea. Having heard too many versions of narratives regarding this country that the world knows so little about due to its controlled information outflow, I was curious and wanted to explore the truth behind such narratives, and also to share my experience and help the Koreans make a difference in their own country.

The workshop leaders from across the globe flew into Beijing a day before departing to North Korea, to pick up our visas. Very quickly and surprisingly, we bonded well despite our diverse nationalities (the UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Malaysia, South Africa, France and Spain), cultures, careers and backgrounds.

Our three-day workshop was held in Pyongsong, 30km north of Pyongyang, dubbed by some as the “Silicon Valley of North Korea”. The venue was the Institute of Natural Energy, State Academy of Sciences.

We hosted 80 participants, mostly researchers and scientists from the biomedical, automation and mechanical engineering fields. It was a golden opportunity interacting with them, and understanding their backgrounds, cultures, business ideas and dreams. I presented on “Lessons learnt from rapidly building up a business and managing it remotely”, and had so much joy and excitement sharing my experience with the eager-to-learn crowd. I even conducted a few private consultations with the participants on my business model, where I found myself dishing out advice on entrepreneurship.

We had an amazing line-up of workshop leaders, who presented on Business Model Canvas, Marketing and Branding, Customer Development, Low-Cost Prototyping with Emerging Technologies, Design Thinking, Digital Business Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, and Process of Engaging International Business Partners. The workshop leaders – all with very impressive backgrounds – made their presentations more engaging and interesting by including virtual reality exercises, on-the-spot prototype building, and real case studies.

The participants had the opportunity to present their business ideas to us. They were divided into 12 teams, with one workshop leader assigned to each, providing mentoring, coaching, advice and assistance. Among the ideas were the invention of a new water filter system, milk bath therapy to cure skin diseases, recycling PET plant, microorganism recycling factory and new hydroponics method. Some teams even built their prototypes and presented them to us.

It was indeed an eye-opener for me to watch the 12 teams present such innovative and viable business products from a country that most people the world over perceive to be lacking digital technology and creative thinking. It was very encouraging and rewarding for the workshop leaders to see that the participants are trying to make a difference in their country, and that the coaching over the three days was fruitful and fulfilling.

Although we did see some international brands in North Korea, it remains a closed economy, and foreign trading is highly discouraged. However, I believe that the Choson Exchange programme can help North Koreans become self-sustainable until the country’s economy is geared towards free market trade.

One of the interesting visits was to the Kwangbok department store, where I noticed an Ikea section, although I am not sure if it is fully licensed. We also visited Pyongyang Department Store No. 1, where I purchased skincare products that my team developed last year. The products are sold at hotels, duty-free shops at Pyongyang Sunan International Airport, as well as department stores. This made me realise that there is so much more talent and potential to be unlocked in North Korea.

During my stay at Pyongyang Hotel, I would get up before sunrise to stroll along the Taedong river, watch locals conduct morning exercises and play badminton, and those cycling to work. It was exhilarating to be able to stroll down the streets of North Korea without a chaperone, and experience the daily lives of locals and blend in.

One highlight was being able to check out the Pyongyang metro that locals use daily. It is the deepest metro in the world, approximately 110m underground. It took us almost 2.5 minutes to travel from the ground level down to the platform.

We visited the country’s largest food-processing factory, Gold Cup Foodstuff Factory, where we saw sweets, snacks, other food items and drinks on the production line. I was surprised that instead of being labour-intensive, the plant ran mostly on machinery and technologies as advanced as those found in First World nations.

We also had the opportunity to dine at Taedonggang Seafood Restaurant, the very same eatery where Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un hosted South Korean President Moon Jae-in two months ago. The newly constructed restaurant opened its doors in September, and we even sat in the very same room that the two leaders were in.

What I experienced in North Korea is beyond anything words can describe. I had expected the trip to be intense, carried out under heavy scrutiny, claustrophobic and filled with fear. Instead, I was relaxed the entire time.

Those keen to have this phenomenal experience can reach out to Choson Exchange at [email protected]. – November 30, 2018.

* Michelle is a Malaysian currently working in Singapore as a mergers and acquisitions manager in a consulting firm. When not crunching numbers, she enjoys golfing, tennis, skiing, diving, reading and travelling. She hopes to return to North Korea again next year to share more of her entrepreneurship journey with the Koreans.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.