Biology:Kimjongilia
| Begonia 'Kimjongilhwa' | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Genus | Begonia |
| Cultivar group | Tuberhybrida Group |
| Cultivar | 'Kimjongilhwa' |
| 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]
History
To commemorate Kim Jong Il's 46th birthday in 1988, Japan ese 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
- Kimilsungia
- Kimjongilia (film)
References
- ↑ "ABS Registered Begonias (G - O)". American Begonia Society. http://www.begonias.org/registered/registeredGO.htm.
- ↑ "Succession in North Korea: Grief and fear", The Economist, December 31, 2011.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Minahan, James (2010). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. 1. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-313-34497-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=jfrWCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA82.
- ↑ Lim, Reuben C. J. (29 June 2013). "Floral Emblems of the world". anbg.gov.au. Australian National Herbarium. https://www.anbg.gov.au/emblems/world-emblems.html.
- ↑ Chong, Bong-uk (1998). A Handbook on North Korea. Naewoe Press. p. 101.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ford, Glyn; Kwon, Soyoung (2008). North Korea on the brink: struggle for survival. Pluto Press. p. 98. ISBN 978-0-7453-2598-9.
- ↑ Birthday of Kim Jong-Il (Fourth ed.). Omnigraphics. 2010. http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Birthday+of+Kim+Jong-Il. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ↑ "Agent for Preserving Kimjongilia Developed" , KCNA, October 21, 2008.
- ↑ Lanʹkov, 2007, p. 22.
Further reading
- Kimjongilia. Plant in Full Bloom. 1. National Institute for Standardization. 2007. OCLC 837310890. http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?6+6003#.pdf.
- Pak Ryong Ung et al. (2011). Encyclopedia of Kimjongilia. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. ISBN 978-9946-0-0668-0. http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?11+11003#.pdf.
- Kimjongilia – The King Flower has Appeared and Spread Abroad. Foreign Languages Publishing House. 1998. OCLC 870900826. http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?4+4017#.pdf.
- Woodard, D. (2005). "Beautiful Kimjongilia". Der Freund (Axel Springer AG) 3. https://juniperhills.net/beautifulkimjongilia.pdf.
External links
- Kimjongilia festival on YouTube (in Korean)
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