The seventh congress of North Korea's ruling Worker's Party will open Friday, which is being viewed as an event to officially declare the era of leader Kim Jong-un's regime.

Seoul's Unification Ministry said Thursday the gathering will kick off at the April 25th Culture Hall in Pyongyang with opening remarks by Kim.

The first day of the congress is expected to include briefings by the party's Central Committee, followed by discussions.

A ministry official said there are signs that the North is also preparing events on the sidelines of the congress, such as a public rally or performances. The official said it's also possible that congress meetings will not be held on days of a public rally.

An estimated three-thousand participants of the congress who were selected in provincial and local party delegate meetings last month gathered in the capital city last Sunday. On Wednesday, they visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of former North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il are enshrined. 

The party congress, the first in 36 years and the biggest political event in North Korea, is expected to end around Monday.