Kim Jong Un’s personal band has cancelled its “friendship performances” in China

It is not immediately known why the band had to leave Beijing.

The centre later in the day announced the cancellation of all three joint concerts by the band and chorus. It would have been the first-ever foreign performance for the band, and one of three concerts scheduled.

“North Korea’s long-range missile launch is celebrated in the Moranbong Band’s repertoire”. An accompanying North Korean musical troupe, the State Merited Chorus, also cancelled its performances.

While making Kim Jong-un angry is probably not the wisest idea at this particular point in time, China has even begun online censoring of the Moranbong Band.

The band’s China visit had been seen as an indication of improving relations between China and its isolated neighbor. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, “No further information will be provided” during a routine press briefing and told reporters to refer to statements from Chinese news agency Xinhua, South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported.

On Friday, North Korea’s official KCNA news agency lauded the attention the band’s arrival in China was drawing, saying world media “vie with each other to report about the China visit”.

Members of the Moranbong Band from North Korea arrive at Beijing International Airport before departing from Beijing on Saturday.

The reclusive North is also unlikely to conduct a nuclear test in 2016, raising the possibility of a breakthrough in efforts to resume the six-way talks, according to the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU). The China show was to be its first overseas.

“Following North Korea’s sudden cancellation of the Moranbong Band, we can not rule out the possibility that Pyongyang and Beijing’s relations may become estranged again”, a South Korean defense official said during a meeting of top military officials held in Seoul on Monday.

Liu was most senior official to have visited Pyongyang since Kim took power following the death of his father in late 2011.

Some media speculated that NK officials were offended that China’s president, Xi Jinping, did not plan to attend, and the Daily Beast reported that Kim Jong-un himself called off the performance “in order to quiet rumors of his past sexual relationship with Hyon Song-wol”, the leader of Moranbang.

“Dear Leader has mentioned investment concentration on science and technology, the people’s economy and fundamental engineering, to stabilize the independent economy”, North Korean vice minister Ro Doo Chol, who serves as a chief of the National Scheme Council, said in remarks carried by Rodong Sinmun.