South Korea highlights historical matrimonial link between Ayodhya and Gaya

With a focus on the ancient ties between the two countries that are ingrained in the temple town, South Korea congratulated India on the grand opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on Tuesday(January 23).

"Congratulations on the consecration ceremony of the #RamTemple in #Ayodhya," the Korean Embassy in India said in a post on X, adding that the "place holds a great symbolic importance for Korea-India relations based on the matrimonial link between Queen #Sriratna (Heo Hwang-ok) from Ayodhya and King Kim Suro from Gaya (Korea) in 48 A.D".

The post also expressed hope that the "family-like and spiritual bonds between our two nations will continue to strengthen and deepen, inspired by the idealism personified in Lord Ram as Maryada Purushottam."

According to legend, Princess Suriratna, also known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok, was the princess of Ayodhya before she married to King Kim Suro of the Karak Clan in 48 AD. This matrimonial link is celebrated as a cornerstone of the friendly relations between the two countries.

The ancient Korean text "Samguk Yusa," which describes King Suro's bride as a princess from the far-off kingdom of Ayuta—widely thought to be today's Ayodhya—tells the tale of Queen Heo Hwang-ok. The queen's memorial, which was initially established in 2001 at Ayodhya, serves as a reminder of this common past.

In 2015, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to South Korea, he signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enlarge the memorial in celebration of the queen's legacy. The beautifully landscaped memorial garden opened its doors in 2022.

The tourist department of Uttar Pradesh states that almost 6 million members of the Karak tribe consider Ayodhya to be their maternal motherland. The notion was emphasised in November 2018 during a solo trip to India by the First Lady of South Korea at the time, Kim Jung-sook. She honoured Princess Suriratna by visiting the memorial on the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya during her four-day tour.