A Japanese daily says North Korea is seeking to foster technology staff as part of its bid to emerge as a software power.

The Mainichi Shimbun on Monday quoted a Chinese source as saying Pyongyang has developed a translation software for six languages such as Japanese and Russian and another for three-dimensional architectural design.

The report said North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has urged swift progress in the information technology sector since the 1990s.

North Korean authorities also recently designated digitalization of their economy as a major task and are pushing for software development at leading info-tech institutes and agencies.