A North Korean government delegation made a two-day visit to Shenzhen in late January to meet with a Chinese technology firm, underscoring Pyongyang’s interest in upgrading education content and digital infrastructure with Chinese artificial intelligence technologies.
According to press material released by the Chinese side, a delegation from the DPRK’s Ministry of Education met with executives and technical staff at Shenzhen Blaz Information Technology Co., Ltd. and toured the company’s product exhibition and demonstration facilities from Jan. 27-28.
During the visit, the company showcased what it described as its core technological capabilities and industry solutions in digital interactive content based on AI and extended reality (XR). Demonstrations included immersive educational applications, mixed-reality cultural displays and AI-assisted content generation tools.
Blaz Info said, “The delegates immersed themselves in hands-on experiences with AI+XR equipment.”
The two sides discussed potential areas of cooperation and reached preliminary understandings, according to the company. One focus was localizing existing AI and XR products for use in North Korea, including adapting software interfaces, voice functions and instructional content into Korean to support local deployment.
Another area involved jointly developing customized digital content based on North Korean history, arts and tourism resources. Such cooperation would “reflect national characteristics while incorporating advanced technology, thereby supporting cultural preservation and dissemination through innovation,” according to the company’s release.
A third area centered on building an academic exchange mechanism in AI and XR, including cooperation on research, technical training and theoretical development, with the stated aim of expanding practical applications of emerging technologies in education and cultural sectors.
Blaz Info describes itself on its website as a leading Chinese operator of AI and XR digital interactive content, specializing in development in the “XR field while integrating cutting-edge AI technologies.” The company says its services span more than 30 provinces in China and that it works with over 500 corporate clients, including Costa Cruises, Hershey’s and Coca-Cola.
According to the company’s materials, the North Korean delegation also observed virtual simulation drone training systems designed for secondary and higher vocational institutions and tested brain-computer interface products from Blaz Info’s partners.
Such cooperation could raise sanctions concerns. U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397 prohibits the export to North Korea of certain products under HS Code 85, which can include extended reality equipment.
Resolution 2321 also bans most scientific and technical cooperation with North Korean entities unless it is assessed as posing no risk of contributing to weapons proliferation. Some of the technologies discussed for educational use may carry potential dual-use applications that could extend beyond civilian purposes.
North Korea has previously pursued domestic digital education technologies. State media reported in 2017 that the country developed extended reality equipment and 3D educational games for children. NK News reported in 2020 that North Korea rolled out educational software incorporating state media content to support instruction in English and mathematics.
In addition, Pyongyang has been actively looking to expand its use of AI in recent years. The country began dispatching AI researchers to Russia for study in 2025, and its military is pushing to incorporate AI into unmanned systems, while the country’s cybercriminals already use AI tools to supercharge their illicit operations.
Originally written by: Jifan Li
Source: NK News
Published on: 4 February 2026
Link to original article: North Korean delegation visits Chinese tech firm to explore AI systems
