seoul north korean leader kim jong un focused on domestic economic issues at a meeting of the politburo of the countrys ruling workers party state media said on monday as the north ramped up pressure on south korea over defector activitiesthe twoday politburo meeting comes at a time of economic uncertainty amid the global covid19 pandemic that is putting additional pressure on the norths economy already battered by international sanctions aimed at stopping its nuclear programthe meeting discussed crucial issues arising in further developing the selfsufficient economy of the country and improving the standard of peoples living state news agency kcna saidkim did not mention the norths increased criticism of south korea or of the north korean defectors who call it homefor several days north korea has lashed out at south korea threatening to close an interkorean liaison office and other projects if the south does not stop defectors from sending leaflets and other material into the northon monday north korea did not answer a routine daily liaison phone call from south korean officials for the first time in since 2018 south koreas unification ministry saidthe ministry has said south korea remains committed to following interkorean agreements and it is considering proposing legislation to ban groups from sending material into north koreakcnas report on the 13th political bureau meeting focused on domestic economic issues including the chemical industry and fertilizer production as a major thrust front of the national economythe meeting also emphasized construction of residential houses as a way to better north koreans standard of livingkim has made an unusually small number of outings in recent months with his absence from a major holiday prompting speculation about his condition as pyongyang has stepped up measures against the covid19 pandemicalthough north korea says it has no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus south koreas main intelligence agency has said an outbreak there cannot be ruled out