NKorea leader Kim convenes Workers' Party meeting

Kim Jong Un has gathered the Politburo of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to talk about the economy and living conditions, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported early Monday morning.

Footage from the past weekend shows Kim in white, sitting at a large round table, with veteran aides Choe Ryong-hae and Pak Pong-jsu on either side of him.

Neither Kim nor any of the other officials are wearing masks, and the coronavirus pandemic was not mentioned in the state media's report about the meeting.

Instead, "the meeting discussed in depth some crucial issues arising in further developing the self-sufficient economy of the country and improving the standard of people's living," KCNA said.

Kim emphasised the importance of the country's chemical industry, the official report said, including production of fertilizer.

That basic product has been a particular focus of North Korea's media this year.

Kim's first public appearance was in January this year at a fertilizer factory under construction, and then on 1 May his return after some weeks out of the spotlight, at the same factory opening ceremony.

While fertilizer does not hog the headlines in many other countries, in North Korea it is a vital commodity due to the country's struggle to grow food at farms on limited land which has been exhausted of natural nutrients.

For many years, North Korea relied on imports of chemical fertilizer, but those have long dried up.

During the meeting Kim also highlighted a part of the chemical industry which has the potential for harnessing raw materials to make fuel.

He also highlighted living conditions of people in the capital Pyongyang, "including the construction of dwelling houses."

Pyongyang has gone through successive bouts of apartment construction over the past decade, but there is still a strong need for more homes, plus the infrastructure to make them liveable.