The Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un is known for his severity and ridigity—characteristics that were surely passed on by his father and grandfather, who has been running the dictatorship of North Korea for manny years now.
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Kim Jong-un has certains demands and expectations he wants his people, staff, and family to adhere to, and if they fail the consequences can be disastrous.
In 2022, it had been reported that he punished his gardener by sending him to a labor camp when his flowers didn't bloom on time for his father's birthday. The gardener in question was identified as a man named 'Han' and was tasked with growing flowers in a greenhouse.
The story behind the flowers
The flowers were being grown for the upcoming birthday of North Korean state founder Kim Il-sung, also the father of Kim Jong-un. The day is celebrated as the 'Day of the Sun' and the streets are decorated with Kimjongilia flowers.
These flowers are no ordinary flowers. They're a specialized begonia hybrid that was bred by Japanese botanist Mototeru Kamo in 1988 to celebrate Kim Jong-il's 46th birthday. Since then, it has been used for official occasions.
The gardener's punishment
The gardener responsible for the growth of this flower failed to make them bloom on the day of the special event.
This left the Korean ruler enraged and he sentenced Han to a brutal prison camp for 6 months. As reported by the South Korean Daily NK the gardener is suspected to be around 50 years old.
Another gardener, identified as 'Choi', met the same fate, but only for three months. He was accused of not having adequately controlled the temperature in the greenhouse.
It was revealed that neither of them was responsible for the mishap. The greenhouse was left cold due to the scarcity of firewood that is necessary to heat the greenhouse sufficiently. As a result, the greenhouse was left too cold and damp.
According to Daily NK, the firewood shortage is due to North Korea's tense economic situation. The dictator's country has taken drastic measures in the fight against the COVID pandemic, which further weakened its economy. None of the senior officials have been held accountable in this case. A source said, as quoted by the publication:
Economic activity greatly decreased due to the strengthening of the country’s emergency disease-control measures, which led many Kimilsungia-Kimjongilia greenhouses to become neglected.
But now they’re suddenly saying that the Kimjongilia flowers have to be grown in time for the event, so how is Han supposed to grow them?
The North Korean ruler is known for executing absurd bans and cruel punishments.
This article was translated from Gentside DE.
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