North Korea's Spice Girls leave China without singing a note: Kim Jong-un's favourite girl band cancel 'due to communciation problems'

The first overseas concert by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's favourite girl band was abruptly called off on Saturday just hours before they were to take the stage in Beijing.

The National Centre for the Performing Arts, where the band was to give a series of concerts over three days accompanied by an orchestra, confirmed the show was cancelled "due to certain reasons," without specifying.

"We just received a notice that the three days of concerts were all cancelled," an operator with the centre's hotline said when reached by the at 6pm - 90 minutes before the performance was to start. Censors removed most reports of the cancellation.

On Sunday, State-run Xinhua quoted people from relevant departments as saying that the performance was cancelled because of “communication issues at the working level”, without further elaboration.

China attached high importance to cultural exchanges with North Korea, and was ready to continue to work with it to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation in culture and all other areas, the report said.

About 20 members of Moranbong Band were seen departing for home from Beijing's international airport at about 1pm on Saturday.

They arrived at the airport in two batches and boarded Flight JS152 to Pyongyang, which took off at about 4pm, mainland media reported.