Journalists from around the world were invited to North Korea to cover the ruling party’s first congress in 36 years on Friday. But while many were allowed to travel to Pyongyang, the capital of the reclusive country, they were then barred from the actual event.

So on Twitter and Facebook, journalists reported far from the proceedings taking place inside the convention hall where the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, is using the rare political gathering to consolidate his power.

In theory, the Workers’ Party, which governs North Korea, is supposed to hold a congress every five years. But this is only the seventh in the party’s 70-year history. The last one was held in 1980, before Mr. Kim was even born. Kim Il-sung was in charge then. It is not entirely clear why the event is happening now or what the government hoped to get with world news coverage. Reporters were working around the restrictions, with some improvisation on social media.