Kimjongilia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kimjongilia | |
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| Chosŏn'gŭl: | 김정일화 |
| Hanja: | 金正日花 |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Kim Chŏng-il Hwa |
| Revised Romanization: | Gim Jeong-il Hwa |
Kimjongilia (Korean: 'Kimjŏngilhwa') is one of two national flowers of North Korea, named after the leader Kim Jong-il. It is a hybrid cultivar of begonia, Begonia x Tuberhybrida.
To commemorate Kim Jong-il's 46th birthday in 1988, Japanese botanist Motoderu Kamo cultivated a new perennial begonia named "Kimjongilia" (literally, "flower of Kim Jong-il"), representing the Juche revolutionary cause of the 'Dear Leader'. According to North Korean sources, the flower symbolizes wisdom, love, justice and peace. It is designed to bloom every year on Kim Jong-il's February 16 birthday.
The North Korean government claims that Kimjongilia has spread widely throughout North Korea from the Korean Central Botanical Garden, and subsequently to over 60 nations, including the United States and Russia.
