North Korea confronts a modern-day challenge: a declining population

Last week, an unusual array of vivid colors filled the seats at a North Korean political event. The all-woman audience and their traditional Korean dresses were a rare departure from the dull-colored suits and uniforms of typically male-dominant crowds on such occasions.

The event, the 5th National Meeting of Mothers, was the first to be held since 2012 and the first to be attended by the country's leader since 1961, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

Leader Kim Jong Un's presence on both days of the two-day gathering and his...