North Korean pop group Moranbong Band cancels Beijing concert

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told Joo Ho-young, a ruling party lawmaker and chairman of the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee, the Beijing concert was suddenly canceled on Saturday after Chinese officials discovered Kim Jong Un worship would be a recurring theme in the performance.

North Korea did not offer an explanation, and the Chinese state-run press cited “communication issues at the working level” for the cancelation.

The cancellation of a propaganda extravaganza to mark relations between two countries famously “as close as lips and teeth” caused widespread speculation about what happened.

Relationships between North Korea and China have been strained since Mr Kim came into power in 2011.

Asked about whether the cancellation would pose a negative impact on bilateral ties with North Korea, Hong also repeated the brief Xinhua report, saying “China attached high importance to the cultural exchanges with the DPRK (North Korea), and was ready to continue to work with it to promote the bilateral exchanges and cooperation in culture and all other areas”.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Members of North Korean pop band Moranbong leave their hotel in central Beijing, China on Saturday. Mainland media said they were due to give three concerts in Beijing.

The concerts had been seen as a sign of better relations between North Korea and its neighbour. “But North Korea eventually called off the performance”.

North Korea’s Ambassador to China, Ji Jae Ryon, was seen accompanying the women onto the plane, which was delayed by three hours and took off shortly after 4 p.m., the Shanghaiist website reported.

China is North Korea’s main economic and diplomatic backer, but was infuriated in 2013 when Kim ordered the carrying out of the country’s third nuclear test.

The ensemble, whose members were reportedly handpicked by Kim, was formed in 2012 and their show in China was to be their first overseas appearance.

Edward Wong of The New York Times writes, “The sudden departure of the band appeared to highlight the mercurial and secretive nature of Mr. Kim and his government”. However, China made the change after confirming that the concert was centered on extolling Kim which would be hard for senior officials of China’s Communist Party to accept.

Several subsequent rounds of saber rattling by Pyongyang have also tested Beijing’s patience.