The ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced Friday that it will hold its seven congress in early May next year.

The gathering will be the first of its kind in 36 years. The last WPK congress took place in 1980.

In an announcement carried by the KCNA, the Political Bureau of the WPK Central Committee lauded the party's governance, saying the party has become "the organizer and leader of all victories for the Korean people."

The conference is to be held to reflect "the demand of the party and the developing revolution that witness epoch-making changes in accomplishing ... the cause of building a thriving socialist nation," said the statement.

The WPK Central Committee can call party conferences between its congresses.

(Xinhua)