Kimjongilia
| Begonia 'Kimjongilia' | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genus | Begonia |
| Cultivar group | Tuberhybrida Group |
| Cultivar | Kimjongilia |
| Kimjongilia | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 김정일화 |
|---|---|
| Hancha | 金正日花 |
| Revised Romanization | Gimjeongilhwa |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kimjŏngirhwa |
Kimjongilia is a flower named after North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. It is a hybrid cultivar of tuberous begonia.
Contrary to popular belief[citation needed], the Kimjongilia is not a national flower of North Korea. The national flower of the country is the magnolia.[1]
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.[2] It was presented as a "token of friendship between Korea and Japan".[3] The flower symbolizes wisdom, love, justice and peace. It is designed to bloom every year on Kim Jong-il's February 16 birthday.[4]
Kimjongilia has spread widely throughout North Korea from the Korean Central Botanical Garden, and subsequently to over sixty nations, including the United States and Russia.[citation needed]
On October 21, 2008, the Korean Central News Agency announced a preservation agent had been developed that would allow the flower to keep in bloom for longer periods of time.[5]
Another species of flower, Kimilsungia, is named after Kim Jong-il's father and predecessor, Kim Il-sung.
Song
A song composed by several North Korean composers, also called Kimjongilia, was written about the flower:[6]
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
- ^ "Magnolia", Korea Today Monthly Journal (issue 627, September 2008), cover inset.
- ^ Chong, Bong-uk (1998). A Handbook on North Korea. Naewoe Press. p. 101.
- ^ Lanʹkov, Andreĭ Nikolaevich (2007). North of the DMZ: essays on daily life in North Korea. McFarland. p. 21. ISBN 978-0786428397.
- ^ Ford, Glyn (2008). North Korea on the brink: struggle for survival. Pluto Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0745325989.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Agent for Preserving Kimjongilia Developed", KCNA, October 21, 2008.
- ^ Lanʹkov, 2007, p. 22.
Further reading
- David Woodard, "Beautiful Kimjongilia", Der Freund 3, Axel Springer AG, 2005
- Pang Hwan Ju, Kimjongilia, Foreign Languages Publishing House, softcover, 100 pages