The Moranbong Band, which was formed by Kim Jong-un, visits China to cultivate ties between the two countries but then flies out without explanation

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

An all-female band formed by the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un cancelled its concerts in Beijing and abruptly left the Chinese capital for unknown reasons.

North Korea prepares for lavish birthday party – in pictures Read more

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.

However band members arrived at Beijing’s airport in North Korean embassy vehicles on Saturday afternoon and departed aboard a North Korean Air Koryo jet shortly after 4pm following a lengthy delay, the Chinese news website sina.com reported.

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 cancelled its performances.

The bands’ 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.

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.

“There are few things the North takes more seriously than an attack on the dignity of its supreme leadership, and it might have decided to bring the female members of the band back quickly to cut off such reports,” Yang said.

How should the world engage with North Korea? Read more

While China continues to provide crucial economic support and diplomatic cover for Kim’s impoverished communist regime, the North Korean leader appears to have used defiance of Beijing to shore up perceptions of his own power and independence of action.

Relations between China and North Korea, strained since Kim came to power in 2011, appeared to be on the mend following a well-publicised visit to Pyongyang by high-ranking Chinese official Liu Yunshan in October.

However, Kim’s unwillingness to visit China and his government’s refusal to restart denuclearisation talks have frustrated the Chinese leadership.