Kimilsungia is a flower to which Sukarno, the former Indonesian president gave the august name of Kim Il Sung with boundless reverence for him.
Buntu, an Indonesian botanist produced a new variety of orchid family in 1964 after his long research.
Several stems come from the neck of root. Their height is 30-70 centimeters, their diameter is 1-1.5 centimeters and it has usually 6-8 nodes.
3-15 butterfly-shaped flowers come out on the flower stalk from the bottom and a flower has 3 petals and 3 sepals. Sepals look like petals because the former are tinged with deep pink purple. The tip of sepal is distinctively white. Since one of its flowers keeps blooming for 2 months, the blooming period of one plant is about 3 months.
It was April, 1965 when President Kim Il Sung visited Indonesia.
Sukarno, the then president of Indonesia, accompanied President Kim Il Sung to visit Bogor Botanical Garden.
While going round the botanical garden, Kim Il Sung stopped in front of a flower bloom that gave spirited and mysterious feelings for its upstanding stems, refreshingly unfolded petals, graceful and rare deep pink purple blossoms. Saying that the flower was very beautiful and fine, he appreciated the ac
Sukarno, who did not yet name the flower, told Kim Il Sung his determination to call it after the august name of Kim Il Sung in high respect for him.
Kim Il Sung refused it, but Sukarno insisted that he is deserved to enjoy a great honor since he has already made lots of exploits before mankind. Since then, a new flower, Kimilsungia, with botanical name came into being in reflection of the unanimous desire of the world progressive people who respect him.
The head of Bogor Botanical Garden devoted all his energies into completing the method of cultivation in order to realize his desire of making Kimilsungia take root in the land of Korea and bloom. He passed away without attaining his aim. Before his death he told his son and colleagues that Kimilsungia should be sent to the Korean friends.
“…I wish that this Kimilsungia should grow thick to be a beautiful flower in Korea.”
Later his son and horticulturists made every effort to complete the method of cultivating Kimilsungia and sent its bloom to the DPRK in 1975 which marked the 10th anniversary of President Kim Il Sung’ s visit to Indonesia.
Kimilsungia, a flower of praising a great man is in full bloom as a flower of the sun with the passage of time.
In Pyongyang, the Kimilsungia festival takes place on a grand scale every year since 1999 in reflection of the feelings of the Korean people who yearn after President Kim Il Sung.
2008 witnessed the 10th Kimilsungia festival.
Not only the Korean people but also foreign friends and organizations took part in the festival.
Foreign visitors are greatly impressed with the fact that the festival takes place distinctively reflecting the desire of the Korean people and the progressive people of the world who want to hold Kim Il Sung as the eternal sun.
Kimilsungia, an immortal flower, will be in full bloom carrying the feelings of reverence of the Korean people and the world progressive people for President Kim Il Sung.
