Mysterious North Korea keeps world guessing on rare meeting

By Jeremy Laurence

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's capital is ready for its biggest political event in decades: giant billboards proclaim an event to make the country's "history shine forever," the dress rehearsals are complete and the army is ready.

But like all things in secretive North Korea, the event -- a conference of the ruling Worker's Party (WPK) which is widely expected to anoint Kim Jong-il's son as his successor -- is shrouded in mystery.

The gathering of the country's ruling elite comes at a critical time for the destitute North after a botched currency reform late last year triggered inflation and wiped out ordinary citizen's savings.

Kay Seok, a researcher with Human Rights Watch in Seoul, said North Koreans believe the government "stole" their money, and anger still runs high.

But the party conference is unlikely to introduce any major policy changes, analysts say. Rather, it will rather focus on burnishing the party's image.

The North's official KCNA news agency said in June the Politburo of the WPK Central Committee had decided to convene a conference "for electing its highest leading body reflecting the new requirements of the WPK."

Analysts read this as meaning the party wants to improve its position as the major power group in North Korean society.

The party has played second fiddle to the National Defence Commission in recent years as Kim has embraced a military-first policy. But now he needs to win the backing of the political elite in pushing through his son, Kim Jong-un's succession.