The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to hold three concerts in Beijing beginning Saturday night in what was viewed as a visit to cultivate ties between the countries.
The performance "cannot be staged as scheduled due to communication issues at the working level," the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing a news release from unnamed "relevant departments."
Band members arrived at Beijing's airport in North Korean Embassy vehicles yesterday afternoon, and departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet shortly after 4 pm following a lengthy delay, Chinese news website sina.Com reported.
Calls to the International Department of the Communist Party's Central Committee, which organizes exchanges with foreign political parties, rang unanswered today and there was no statement available online.
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Although North Korea is well known for its unpredictability, the sudden cancellation of the concerts could hurt relations between Beijing and Pyongyang. Ties between the sides have been noticeably cooler since Kim assumed power in 2011.
The band's abrupt departures might have been related to stories circulated by the South Korean media about a rumored past relationship between the married Kim and a female member of the band, which also made rounds on Chinese social media, said Yang Moo-jin, a North Korea expert at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
North Korea has built a cult of personality around the Kim family, which has ruled for three generations, and sees any outside criticism or mockery of its leader as an attack on its sovereignty.