Kimjongilia

Kimjongilia is a flower named after the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. It is a hybrid cultivar of tuberous begonia, registered as Begonia × tuberhybrida 'Kimjongilhwa'.[1] When Kim Jong Il died in December 2011, the flower was used to adorn his body for public display.[2] Despite its name, the Kimjongilia is not the official national flower of North Korea,[3] which is the Magnolia sieboldii.[4] Another flower, Kimilsungia, is an orchid cultivar named after Kim Jong Il's father and predecessor, Kim Il Sung.[3]

For the documentary film, see Kimjongilia (film).
Begonia 'Kimjongilhwa'
GenusBegonia
Cultivar groupTuberhybrida Group
Cultivar'Kimjongilhwa'
Kimjongilia
Chosŏn'gŭl
Hancha
Revised RomanizationGimjeongilhwa
McCune–ReischauerKimjŏngirhwa

History

To commemorate Kim Jong Il's 46th birthday in 1988, Japanese botanist Kamo Mototeru cultivated a new perennial begonia named "kimjongilia" (literally, "flower of Kim Jong-il"), representing the Juche revolutionary cause of the Dear Leader.[5] It was presented as a "token of friendship between Korea and Japan".[6] The flower symbolizes wisdom, love, justice and peace. It is designed to bloom every year on Kim Jong Il's birthday, February 16.[7]

Bloom

The flower has been cultivated to bloom around the Day of the Shining Star, Kim Jong Il's birthday, 16 February.[8] According to the Korean Central News Agency, a preservation agent had been developed that would allow the flower to keep in bloom for longer periods of time.[9]

Song

A song composed by several North Korean composers, also called "Kimjongilia", was written about the flower:[10]

The red flowers that are blossoming over our land
Are like hearts: full of love for the leader
Our hearts follow the young buds of Kimjongilia
Oh! The flower of our loyalty!

See also

References
  1. "ABS Registered Begonias (G - O)". American Begonia Society. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  2. "Succession in North Korea: Grief and fear", The Economist, December 31, 2011.
  3. Minahan, James (2010). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. Vol. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-313-34497-8.
  4. Lim, Reuben C. J. (29 June 2013). "Floral Emblems of the world". anbg.gov.au. Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  5. Chong, Bong-uk (1998). A Handbook on North Korea. Naewoe Press. p. 101.
  6. Lankov, Andrey Nikolaevich (2007). North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea. McFarland. p. 21. ISBN 978-0-7864-2839-7. OCLC 1023223619.
  7. Ford, Glyn; Kwon, Soyoung (2008). North Korea on the brink: struggle for survival. Pluto Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-7453-2598-9.
  8. Birthday of Kim Jong-Il. 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2017 – via TheFreeDictionary.com. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  9. "Agent for Preserving Kimjongilia Developed" Archived 2014-10-12 at the Wayback Machine, KCNA, October 21, 2008.
  10. Lanʹkov, 2007, p. 22.

Further reading
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