Today's History, April 20, 1965: The Visit Of North Korean Leader Kim Il Sung And The Story Of The Kimilsungia Orchid Gift From President Soekarno

President Soekarno conversed with the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung during a 10-day visit to Indonesia on April 10-20, 1965. (PERPUSNAS)

JAKARTA – Today's History, 57 years ago, April 20, 1965, the great leader of North Korea, Kim-Il Sung and his entourage ended their visit in Indonesia. The 10-day visit was carried out as a form of warm relations between Jakarta-Pyongyang.

Moreover, the previous year Soekarno had visited North Korea. In Indonesia, Bung Karno's remarks were never perfunctory. He prepared everything. In fact, Kim was presented with a beautiful orchid. The flower was also named Kimilsungia.

In terms of establishing close relationships with world leaders, President Soekarno is a master. He is good at building emotional closeness. Bung Karno was able to get along with anyone. Including building relations with North Korean leader, Kim-Il Sung.

President Soekarno presented the Kimilsungia orchid to the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung at the Bogor Botanical Gardens. (Doc. Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Korea)

Thanks to that closeness, Indonesia and North Korea entered the phase of the most intimate relationship in history. The closeness of the two countries was increasingly visible when Soekarno visited North Korea in 1965. At that time, Soekarno was greeted with great fanfare in the capital city of Pyongyang. He was even awarded an Honoris Causa Doctorate in Political Science from Pyongyang University on November 3, 1964.

In response, Kim-Il Sung and his entourage visited Indonesia on April 10-20, 1965. The visit was to commemorate a decade of the Asian-African Conference. His visit further emphasized the warmth of relations between the two countries. Sukarno, in his directive, asked the University of Indonesia (UI) to grant Kim an Honoris Causa Doctorate in engineering.

In fact, Bung Karno's remarks were not limited to that. He invited Kim Jong Un's grandfather to visit the Bogor Botanical Gardens. In that place, Sukarno bestowed something special on Kim. Bung Karno named an orchid with the name Kimilsungia. A symbol of the warm relationship between Jakarta and Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Il Sung during a visit to the University of Indonesia to receive an honorary Doctorate Honoris Causa (Instagram/@perfectlifeid)

"However, the treatment of Indonesian diplomats is arguably very special, equivalent to VVIP services. Maybe because Indonesia still has its own place that is respected in the minds of North Koreans considering the good relations between the two countries during President Soekarno."

"In fact, until now North Koreans routinely hold the Kimilsungia Festival on April 15 every year to commemorate the birthday of Kim-Il Sung. 'Kimilsungia' is an orchid flower named after the North Korean leader by President Soekarno as a gift when Kim visited the Bogor Botanical Gardens in 1965," said Michael Wicaksono in the book Korean War: The Longest Dispute of Two Brothers (2020).

The visit made Bung Karno even more amazed by the figure of Kim. He saw Kim as a warrior. Kim is considered a fighter who dares to raise the dignity of his nation.

On the other hand, Kim also admired Soekarno. The 10-day visit then warmed their relationship. Kim ended his visit to Indonesia on April 20, 1965. Kim returned home with Kimilsungia flowers to be cultivated in North Korea.

Kimilsungia, an orchid that President Soekarno gave to Kim Il Sung when he visited Indonesia on April 10-20, 1965, which was later developed and became the national flower of North Korea. (Koryogroup.com)

“Korea, brothers, the other day I came to Korea. And Prime Minister Kim Il Sung also came to Indonesia. I asked Kim Il Sung; Brother Kim, how come you have a nation that is so strong in spirit. The Civil War when it was hit by Mac Arthur was so intense, that Mac Arthur, America's greatest general, ran away, brethren."

"What's the reason? What did Kim Il Sung say? Bung Karno, we have won, because we knew what to defend, and we knew what we were fighting for. We know what we stand for. We know what we are fighting for, namely the independence of the nation, and the ideology that is burning in our chests," concluded Soekarno in his speech at Istora Senayan December 21, 1965 as edited by Budi Setioyono and Bonnie Triyana in the book Revolution Unfinished (2014).

The visit of the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung to Indonesia and the gift of the Kimilsungia orchid from President Soekarno became part of history today, April 20, 1965.