Focusing on the ancient ties between the two countries rooted in the temple city, South Korea on Tuesday (January 23) congratulated India on the grand inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“Congratulations for the consecration ceremony of #RamMandir in #Ayodhya,” the Korean Embassy in India said in a post on Twitter. It also stated that “the place holds a great symbolic significance for Korea-India relations based on the marital relationship between the Queen and the Queen.” Sriratna (Heo Hwang-ok) from Ayodhya and King Kim Suro from Gaya (Korea) in 48 AD”.
The post also expressed hope that “the family-like and spiritual ties between our two countries will continue to grow stronger and deeper, inspired by the idealism expressed by Lord Ram as Maryada Purushottam.”
According to legend, Princess Suriratna, also known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok, was the princess of Ayutthaya before she married King Kim Suro of the Karak clan in 48 AD. This marital relationship is celebrated as the cornerstone of friendly relations between the two countries.
The ancient Korean text “Saemguk Yusa”, which describes King Suro’s bride as a princess of the far-flung kingdom of Ayutthaya – widely believed to be today’s Ayutthaya – tells the story of Queen Heo Hwang-ok . The queen’s memorial, initially installed in Ayodhya in 2001, is 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 expand the memorial in celebration of the queen’s legacy. The beautifully landscaped memorial garden opened its doors in 2022.