North Korea on Thursday said it will not after all send a cheerleading squad to support its athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon.

The announcement was made on state TV by Son Kwang-ho, the vice chairman of North Korea's National Olympic Committee.

"The South called the cheerleading squad political subversives aimed at stirring trouble and took issue with its size and even touched on the cost, which caused talks to break down," Son said.

Son claimed the North told the South of its decisi on in working-level talks in Incheon last week.

Pyongyang earlier wanted to send 350 cheerleaders to the Asian Games but asked South Korea to foot the bill for the group while in South Korea.

The North has already announced that it will send a 273-member delegation of athletes and sports officials to the Asian Games.

