A bronze statue of Korea’s Queen Heo Hwang-ok was recently unveiled in Ayodhya, bringing renewed attention to an ancient historical connection between India and Korea. Long before modern cultural exchanges such as K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean cuisine gained popularity in India, the two civilizations were already linked through people, travel, and shared traditions. According to legend, it was not Korea influencing India in ancient times, but rather an Indian princess who journeyed across the seas to the Korean Peninsula nearly two thousand years ago and became its queen.
Historical and legendary accounts suggest that in the first century AD, an Indian princess named Suriratna travelled from Ayutya—believed by many scholars to be present-day Ayodhya—to Korea. There, she married King Kim Suro and became Queen Heo Hwang-ok, the first queen of the Karak (Gaya) dynasty. She is also believed to have introduced elements of Indian culture to Korea, including spices and possibly tea. Long before modern cultural exchanges such as Korean snacks or pop music entered Indian homes, ships carrying people, seeds, and traditions had already established deep civilisational ties between the two regions.
According to legend, Princess Suriratna embarked on her sea voyage in the year 48 AD, guided by a divine message. She is believed to have carried tea seeds as part of her royal dowry, introducing tea cultivation to Korea. This story has been passed down through generations and is recorded in ancient Korean texts. As a result, many Koreans today trace their ancestral roots to India, particularly to Ayodhya. For decades, even before the construction of the Ram Mandir, hundreds of South Korean visitors have travelled to Ayodhya annually to pay homage to Queen Heo Hwang-ok, whom they regard as an ancestral figure.
The historical connection gained renewed attention on December 24 with the unveiling of a 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Queen Heo Hwang-ok in Ayodhya. The statue, which was imported from South Korea, stands as a symbol of the enduring relationship between the two nations. Its installation marks a significant step in strengthening cultural ties that stretch back nearly 2,000 years.
South Korea’s special bond with Ayodhya is rooted not in mythology alone but in historical references found in ancient Korean records. The Samguk Yusa, a well-known Korean historical text, mentions King Kim Suro’s queen as a princess from a distant land called Ayuta. Many scholars identify this Ayuta with Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The text describes how the princess journeyed across the sea to marry the king and later became the founder of the Karak dynasty. She is believed to have been only sixteen years old at the time of her marriage.
Further references appear in Chinese historical writings, cited by the BBC, which mention that the king of Ayodhya was instructed through a divine dream to send his daughter to Korea. These accounts also claim that the royal couple had ten sons and lived for over 150 years, placing the story somewhere between recorded history and legend. While such details cannot be historically verified, they continue to shape cultural memory and identity in both nations.
The legacy of Queen Heo Hwang-ok has also been acknowledged through physical monuments and official recognition. In 2020, South Korea’s former ambassador to India, Shin Bong-kil, stated that Korean historical texts and archaeological findings from King Kim Suro’s tomb support the connection with Ayodhya. According to Uttar Pradesh tourism authorities, nearly 60 lakh members of the Karak clan in South Korea consider Ayodhya their maternal homeland.
To honor this shared heritage, India issued commemorative postage stamps in 2019 featuring Queen Heo Hwang-ok. Earlier, in 2001, a memorial dedicated to her was established on the banks of the Sarayu River in Ayodhya. This memorial gained further importance in 2015 when an agreement was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Korea to expand and beautify the site. The Queen Heo Memorial Park was later inaugurated in its expanded form in 2022.
The memorial complex includes sculptures of Queen Heo and King Kim Suro, stone inscriptions narrating the legend of her voyage, and symbolic elements such as a pond representing the sea journey and a granite egg sculpture referencing the belief that the queen carried a golden egg during her travel. Built at an estimated cost of ₹21 crore, the park serves as a cultural bridge between the two countries and showcases their shared historical narrative.
The unveiling of the new bronze statue on December 24 further strengthened this connection. Although adverse weather conditions prevented a South Korean delegation from attending the ceremony, the statue was formally unveiled by Ayodhya Mayor Girish Pati Tripathi. He described the occasion as a historic moment symbolizing the deep-rooted relationship between India and South Korea and honoring ancestors who forged this connection nearly two millennia ago.
Officials involved in the project stated that the memorial park, first conceptualized in 1999, is being developed in phases with the support of both Indian authorities and Korean partners. The aim is to highlight Korean culture, traditions, and heritage while reinforcing the historical bond between the two nations.
However, not all scholars agree on Ayodhya as the definitive birthplace of Queen Heo Hwang-ok. Some researchers, including Kannan Narayan, former scientific advisor at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, suggest an alternative origin in southern India. Drawing on Chinese legends and symbolic interpretations, Narayan proposed that the queen may have belonged to the Pandya dynasty of Tamil Nadu and may have sailed from an ancient port near present-day Madurai. He also pointed to shared symbols, such as the twin fish emblem associated with the Pandya rulers, which appear in both Indian and Korean contexts. While this theory remains debated, it adds further depth to the narrative.
Regardless of differing interpretations, the story of Queen Heo Hwang-ok continues to serve as a powerful symbol of early global exchange. Whether viewed as history, legend, or a blend of both, her journey reflects centuries-old ties between India and Korea—ties built on trade, culture, belief systems, and shared values. Today, the bronze statue in Ayodhya stands as a lasting reminder of this ancient relationship, ensuring that the legacy of Queen Heo Hwang-ok continues to inspire future generations and strengthen ties between the two nations.
