Originally, magnolia was called Mokryonhwa in Korean and had grown only in deep mountains of the country. It is now designated as the national flower of the DPRK.

The emergence of this national flower would have been unthinkable without the deep care of President Kim Il Sung and Chairman Kim Jong Il.

In May Juche 53 (1964), the President visited the Jongbangsan Pleasure Ground and noted that he had seen an unforgettable flower with exceptionally white petals there before.

Next day, the Chairman took a measure to find the flowering tree. Seeing the flowering tree, the President said that the Korean people have traditionally added the Korean word "ran" to the name of any fragrant and beautiful flower. And he stressed it would be good to name the flowering tree "Mokran" meaning a tree with beautiful flowers, adding that its flower seems to represent the strong and noble mettle of the Korean people.

Thanks to such ardent patriotism of the President and noble loyalty of the Chairman, magnolia could strike roots in the whole country.

The DPRK people have planted and cultivated many magnolias. In recent years, an advanced cultivation technology was newly established through intensive research into the biological character of magnolia.