(LEAD) Cheong Wa Dae keeping close watch on N. Korean party congress

(ATTN: ADDS with more details, comments in last 5 paras)

SEOUL, May 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's presidential office said Friday that it is carefully monitoring the North's first party congress in 36 years so it can cope with any unexpected developments.

Most South Koreans are taking time off after Seoul designated the day as a temporary national holiday so as to boost domestic consumption, but senior officials in charge of diplomatic and security affairs at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae all reported to work to check on the various pieces of news and intelligence coming out of their neighboring country, sources said.

"It is not an emergency situation, but we have everyone here to watch the North Korean Workers' Party Congress," a Cheong Wa Dae official said, requesting not to be named.

Drawing the office's attention is the future path of Pyongyang's external and South Korea policies. Such policies can give insight into the future course of action the North will take on its nuclear weapons program and its relations with South Korea that could change the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea watchers have said that the country may declare itself a nuclear-possessing country in its ruling party bylaws. The country's Constitution already states the North is a nuclear state.

Some say there is a chance the North may start offering an olive branch toward the South, ending its provocations with the recent conclusion of the South Korea-U.S. annual military drills that it fiercely opposes.

"We're watching what kind of message the North will bring out," another presidential official said.

Cheong Wa Dae is also monitoring the North's moves related to its possible fifth nuclear test as there remains a chance of something happening shortly after the party meeting.

"We should watch and see what they will do after the meeting because they're reportedly ready to conduct another test at any time," an official said.

Sources say Cheong Wa Dae is ready to convene a National Security Council meeting at any time to cope with possible provocations from the North.

The council held its last meeting on Tuesday to check on North Korea's potential preparations to provoke the South ahead of the party congress.

In addition to the presidential office, many unification and foreign ministry officials all reported for duty so as to keep tabs on what is taking place in the North's congress.

"There is a chance that details of the congress will come out early Saturday," a unification ministry official speculated. He said the North will probably announce the start of the "Kim Jong-un era," but there may be a new message directed at the South by the young leader.

Kim, reported to be in his early 30s, took power following the sudden death of his father Kim Jong-il in late 2011.

Seoul is wary of possible provocations by the North, especially since Pyongyang has yet to indicate that it has adjusted its policies on its nuclear and long-range missile development programs.

"The government stance is that nothing has changed and that the North can still provoke the South and the international community," another working level policymaker said.

Related to the closed door congress, some foreign media outlets speculated that the first day of the meeting focused on Kim's "many" achievements such as the fourth nuclear test in January and the launching of the long-range missile in the following month.

sshim@yna.co.kr
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