Kimilsungia is a breed of violet orchid, especially created for the Great Leader and presented to him in 1965 by an Indonesian botanist. Through famine and electricity shortages, greenhouses dedicated to growing Kimilsungia are kept safe and powered.
Kimjongilia, a bright red begonia, was also introduced in 1988 to honour the Dear Leader Kim Jong Il. It has been said that Kim Jong Il needed a larger flower to overcome his father's great legacy.
Both flowers have annual festivals dedicated to the viewing of only these two flowers and are said to bring up to a million visitors to view and take photos with the flowers.
Kimjongilia is also inspiration to a North Korean song:
"The red blossoms that are blossoming over our land,
Are like our hearts: full of love for the leader,
Our hearts follow the young buds of Kimjongilia,
Oh! The flower of our loyalty!"
The name also is the title of a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 which interviews North Korean defectors and survivors of labour camps.
A place for all North Korea related news, updates and interesting facts for anyone who has ever been curious about the hermit kingdom.
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