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'. When Kim Jong Il died in December 2011,the flower was used to adorn his body for public display. Despite its name,the Kimjongilia is not the official national flower of North Korea,which is the Magnolia sieboldii. Another flower,Kimilsungia,is an orchid cultivar named after Kim Jong Il's father and predecessor,Kim Il Sung.
Dendrobium is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids in the family Orchidaceae. It is a very large genus,containing more than 1,800 species that are found in diverse habitats throughout much of south,east and southeast Asia,including China,Japan,India,the Philippines,Indonesia,Australia,New Guinea,Vietnam and many of the islands of the Pacific. Orchids in this genus have roots that creep over the surface of trees or rocks,rarely having their roots in soil. Up to six leaves develop in a tuft at the tip of a shoot and from one to a large number of flowers are arranged along an unbranched flowering stem. Several attempts have been made to separate Dendrobium into smaller genera,but most have not been accepted by the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families.
The contemporary culture of North Korea is based on traditional Korean culture,but has developed since the division of Korea in 1945. Juche,officially the Juche idea,is the state ideology of North Korea. Juche displays North Korea's cultural distinctiveness as it is the origin and sole adopter of the ideology.
The National Emblem of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is one of the national symbols of North Korea. Prominent features on the emblem are a red star,a hydroelectric plant and Mount Paektu. The design bears similarities to the emblem of the Soviet Union and other emblems done in the socialist heraldic style. The emblem was designed by Kim Chu-gyŏng,a painter and a principal of the Pyongyang Art College who also designed the national flag.
The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang,also known as the Arirang Mass Games,or the Arirang Festival is a mass gymnastics and artistic festival held in the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang,North Korea. The games usually take place in August or September. The Arirang Mass Games were held annually between 2002 and 2013,with the exception of 2006. After a five-year hiatus,Mass Games returned for a performance entitled 'The Glorious Country' in 2018.
The Kumsusan Palace of the Sun,formerly the Kumsusan Memorial Palace (금수산기념궁전),is a building near the northeast corner of the city of Pyongyang that serves as the mausoleum for Kim Il Sung,first Supreme Leader and founder of North Korea,and for his son Kim Jong Il,both posthumously designated as the Eternal leaders of North Korea.
The award system of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was initially created less than one month after the foundation of the Republic. During the years of Japanese occupation of Korea,many of the future leaders fled to the Soviet Union. During World War II many if not close to all party leaders and Korean People's Army commanders served in the Soviet Army and as such adopted many of the Soviet awards criteria for their own. During the late 1940s and until the Sino-Soviet Split in late 1958,orders and titles were made in the Soviet Money Mints in Moscow or Leningrad. Soviet made awards were modeled after Soviet orders and made of sterling silver. Initially the orders were attached to clothing with a screw-plate,but after Soviet production stopped,production was moved to North Korea. The screwback was replaced with a pin and the silver content was replaced with cheap tin. With the exception of a few examples of modern orders,Soviet and Czech KPA awards are the most sought after in current militaria markets.
The death of Kim Jong Il was reported by North Korean state television news on 19 December 2011. The presenter Ri Chun-hee announced that he had died on 17 December at 8:30 am of a massive heart attack while travelling by train to an area outside Pyongyang. Reportedly,he had received medical treatment for cardiac and cerebrovascular diseases,and during the trip,Kim was said to have had an "advanced acute myocardial infarction,complicated with a serious heart shock". However,it was reported in December 2012 by South Korean media that the heart attack had instead occurred in a fit of rage over construction faults in a crucial power plant project at Huichon in Chagang Province.
Kim Il Sung died of a heart attack in the early morning of 8 July 1994 at age 82. North Korea's government did not report the death for more than 34 hours after it occurred. An official mourning period was declared from 8–17 July,during which the national flag was flown at half mast throughout the country,and all forms of amusement and dancing were prohibited.
The North Korean cult of personality surrounding the Kim family has existed in North Korea for decades and can be found in many examples of North Korean culture. Although not acknowledged by the North Korean government,many defectors and Western visitors state there are often stiff penalties for those who criticize or do not show "proper" respect for the former leaders of the country,Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il,officially referred to as "eternal leaders of Korea". The personality cult began soon after Kim Il Sung took power in 1948,and was greatly expanded after his death in 1994.
The Okryu Exhibition Hall (Korean:옥류전시관/玉流展示馆),formerly known as the Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia Exhibition Hall (Korean: 김일성화김정일화전시관),was changed to its current name in 2020. It is a museum located in Pyongyang,North Korea. It opened in July 2013. It hosts the International Kimilsungia and Kimjongilia Festivals,which is about Kimilsungia and the Kimjongilia,two flowers named after North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il.
Indonesia–North Korea relations refers to bilateral relations between Indonesia and North Korea. The two countries established diplomatic relations on 16 April 1964. Indonesia is one of the very few countries that still tries to maintain cordial relations with North Korea,despite the widespread international sanctions and resulting isolation imposed on North Korea,compounded with the negative reputation of its human rights,nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs and Indonesia's publicly more robust engagement and partnership with South Korea.
Kang Nung-su was a North Korean literary critic and politician. He was a vice premier and member of the politburo of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. He was a delegate to the 12th and 13th sessions of the Supreme People's Assembly.
The Day of the Sun is an annual public holiday in North Korea on 15 April,the birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung,founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the country,and is considered to be the North Korean equivalent of Christmas. Kim's birthday,which had been an official holiday since 1968,was renamed Day of the Sun in 1997,three years after his death. The name takes its significance from his name:Il-sung.
Upon its liberation in 1945 and subsequent foundation in 1948,North Korea adopted national symbols distinct from the national symbols of South Korea. The traditional flag of Korea,the Taegukgi,and the symbol Taeguk,were swapped for socialist symbols.
The Day of the Shining Star is a public holiday in North Korea falling on 16 February,the anniversary of the birth of the country's second leader,Kim Jong Il. Along with the Day of the Sun,the birthday of his father Kim Il Sung,it is the most important public holiday in the country.
The April 25 House of Culture is a theatre located in Pyongyang,North Korea. It was built in 1974–1975 to provide a venue for military education,and was originally called the February 8 House of Culture. It is located on Pipha Street in the Moranbong District of Pyongyang. The classically colonnaded building is considered one of the best examples of 1970s socialist monumentality in North Korea,the other being the visually similar Mansudae Art Theatre.
