South Korea extended its congratulations to India on the momentous opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, emphasizing the deep historical ties shared between the two nations, as expressed by the Korean Embassy on X.
The embassy conveyed its felicitations in a post on the platform, highlighting the symbolic significance of Ayodhya in the relations between South Korea and India. It acknowledged the ancient matrimonial connection between Queen Sriratna (Heo Hwang-ok) from Ayodhya and King Kim Suro from Gaya (Korea), dating back to 48 A.D.
Expressing optimism for the future, the post stated, "Congratulations on the consecration ceremony of the #RamTemple in #Ayodhya. The place holds 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 message further conveyed 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."
The embassy alluded to the legendary tale of Queen Heo Hwang-ok, recognized as Princess Suriratna, who was a princess of Ayodhya before her marriage to King Kim Suro of the Karak Clan. This matrimonial connection is regarded as a foundational element in fostering friendly relations between South Korea and India.
Queen Heo Hwang-ok's story is recounted in the ancient Korean text "Samguk Yusa," which describes King Suro's wife as a princess from the distant kingdom of Ayuta, identified with today's Ayodhya. The establishment of the queen's memorial in Ayodhya in 2001 stands as a testament to this shared history.
In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the memorial, and the beautified memorial park was inaugurated in 2022. Approximately 6 million people from the Karak clan, according to the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, consider Ayodhya their maternal homeland. This sentiment was further underscored in November 2018 when then-South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook made a solo trip to India, paying homage to Princess Suriratna at the memorial on the banks of the Saryu River in Ayodhya.
