Rather than consisting only of poor, starving people, Pyongyang is partly populated by what an American would recognize as “middle class,” an U.S. citizen discovered while spending a semester teaching computer science.

These Pyongyang residents can be found practicing yoga, playing squash and using cellphones like one would see in any developed country around the world.

Will Scott of Seattle recently spent a semester teaching North Korean students at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST). While there, he was able to see and experience more of the country and its people than most tour groups would ever allow.

Before