An all-female band formed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has cancelled its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital due to unspecified communication issues.
The move possibly further cools relations between the traditional allies.
The Moranbong Band had been scheduled to hold three concerts in Beijing beginning on 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," China's official Xinhua News Agency said.
Band members arrived at Beijing's airport in North Korean embassy vehicles on Saturday afternoon, and departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet following a lengthy delay, Chinese news website sina.com.
A staff member at the National Theatre, where the band was to give the invitation-only performances, said the concerts had been cancelled, but did not give a reason.
An accompanying North Korean musical troupe, the State Merited Chorus, also pulled put because of the communication issues, according to reports.
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 rumoured 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.
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