Editing Kimjongilia

{{short description|Cultivar of begonia, named for Kim Jong-il}}
{{For|the documentary film|Kimjongilia (film)}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = ''Begonia'' 'Kimjongilhwa'
| image = Laika ac Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia Exhibition House (7984388458).jpg
| image_caption =
| genus = ''[[Begonia]]''
| species =
| hybrid =
| group = [[Tuberhybrida Group]]
| cultivar =  ''''Kimjongilhwa''''
| origin =
| subdivision =
}}
{{Infobox Korean name
|context=north
|img=
|caption=
|hangul=김정일화
|hanja ={{linktext|金|正|日|花|}}
|mr=Kimjŏngirhwa
|rr=Gimjeongilhwa
}}

'''Kimjongilia''' is a flower named after the late [[North Korea]]n leader [[Kim Jong Il]]. It is a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] [[cultivar]] of tuberous begonia, registered as [[Begonia × tuberhybrida|''Begonia'' × ''tuberhybrida'']] 'Kimjongilhwa'.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.begonias.org/registered/registeredGO.htm |title=ABS Registered Begonias (G - O) |publisher=American Begonia Society |access-date=27 February 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001926/http://www.begonias.org/registered/registeredGO.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> When Kim Jong Il [[Death of Kim Jong-il|died in December 2011]], the flower was used to adorn his body for [[Lying in state|public display]].<ref>[http://www.economist.com/node/21542227 "Succession in North Korea: Grief and fear"], ''[[The Economist]]'', December 31, 2011.</ref> Despite its name, the Kimjongilia is not the official [[national flower]] of North Korea,<ref name="Minahan2010">{{cite book|last=Minahan|first=James|title=The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jfrWCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA82|volume=1|date=2010|publisher=ABC-CLIO|location=Santa Barbara|isbn=978-0-313-34497-8|page=82}}</ref> which is the ''[[Magnolia sieboldii]]''.<ref>{{Cite web | title = Floral Emblems of the world | last = Lim | first = Reuben C. J. | work = anbg.gov.au | publisher = Australian National Herbarium  | date = 29 June 2013 | access-date = 9 September 2016 | url = https://www.anbg.gov.au/emblems/world-emblems.html}}</ref> Another flower, [[Kimilsungia]], is an orchid cultivar named after Kim Jong Il's father and predecessor, [[Kim Il Sung]].<ref name="Minahan2010"/>

==History==
To commemorate Kim Jong Il's 46th birthday in 1988, [[Japan]]ese [[botany|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.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chong|first=Bong-uk|title=A Handbook on North Korea|publisher=Naewoe Press|year=1998|page=101}}</ref> It was presented as a "token of friendship between Korea and Japan".<ref>{{cite book|title=North of the DMZ: Essays on Daily Life in North Korea|last=Lankov|first=Andrey Nikolaevich| author-link = Andrei Lankov|publisher=McFarland|year=2007|isbn=978-0-7864-2839-7|page=21|oclc=1023223619}}</ref> The flower symbolizes wisdom, love, justice and peace. It is designed to bloom every year on Kim Jong Il's birthday, February 16.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ford|first=Glyn|author2=Kwon, Soyoung |title=North Korea on the brink: struggle for survival|publisher=Pluto Press|year=2008|page=98|isbn=978-0-7453-2598-9}}</ref>

==Bloom==
The flower has been cultivated to bloom around the [[Day of the Shining Star]], Kim Jong Il's birthday, 16 February.<ref name="ency_Birt">{{Cite book| title = Birthday of Kim Jong-Il| publisher = Omnigraphics| via = TheFreeDictionary.com| work = Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary| edition = Fourth| date = 2010| access-date = 13 January 2017| url = http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Birthday+of+Kim+Jong-Il}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2008/200810/news21/20081021-12ee.html "Agent for Preserving Kimjongilia Developed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012064634/http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2008/200810/news21/20081021-12ee.html |date=2014-10-12 }}, ''KCNA'', October 21, 2008.</ref>

==Song==
A song composed by several North Korean composers, also called "Kimjongilia", was written about the flower:<ref>Lanʹkov, 2007, p. 22.</ref>

{{Poemquote|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)|''Kimjongilia'' (film)]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|title=Kimjongilia|series=Plant in Full Bloom|volume=1|date=<!--April 15 -->2007<!--|orig-year=2005-->|editor-last1=Choe Song Hak|editor-last2=Kim In Il|translator=Kim Kun Hui|publisher=National Institute for Standardization|url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?6+6003#.pdf|oclc=837310890}}
* {{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Kimjongilia|author1=Pak Ryong Ung|author2=Pak Je Un|author3=Ri Pyong Pa|author4=Sim Yong Su|author5=Kamo Hyogyong|author6=Kang In Sik|author7=Ko Ok Son|author8=Ri Yong Gyu|author9=Kim Kye Ok|author10=Kim Sun Hui|author11=Hyon Tong Suk|author12=Jang song Hun|editor-last1=Thak Song Il|editor-last2=Jon Song Il|editor-last3=Ri Myong Hyok|editor-last4=An Su Yong|translator=An Jong Ho|translator2=Kim Myong Chan|translator3=Kim Il Gwang|translator4=Ko Chang Bong|translator5=Choe Yong Bom|translator6=Kim Pyol Song|publisher=[[Foreign Languages Publishing House (North Korea)|Foreign Languages Publishing House]]|date=<!--30 December -->2011|location=Pyongyang|url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?11+11003#.pdf|isbn=978-9946-0-0668-0|display-authors=1|display-editors=1}}
* {{cite book|title=Kimjongilia – The King Flower has Appeared and Spread Abroad|date=1998|editor-last1=Pang Hwan Ju|editor-last2=An Chol Gang|translator=Choe Ki Ju|translator2=An Jong Ho|publisher=[[Foreign Languages Publishing House (North Korea)|Foreign Languages Publishing House]]|url=http://www.naenara.com.kp/en/book/download.php?4+4017#.pdf|oclc=870900826}}
* {{cite journal|last=Woodard|first=D.|author-link=David Woodard|title=Beautiful Kimjongilia|url=https://juniperhills.net/beautifulkimjongilia.pdf|journal=[[Der Freund]]|volume=3|publisher=[[Axel Springer AG]]|date=2005}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{YouTube|-vPNUnBvy8s|Kimjongilia festival}} {{in lang|ko}}
*{{YouTube|TRU_IooxJeU|The song "Kimjongilia"|link=no}}

{{Kim Jong-il}}

[[Category:Begonia]]
[[Category:Kim Jong Il]]
[[Category:National symbols of North Korea]]
[[Category:Ornamental plant cultivars]]
[[Category:Propaganda in North Korea]]