In the first week of November, South Korean First Lady Kim Jung-sook arrived in New Delhi on a four-day visit during which she participated in Diwali festivities and attended a groundbreaking ceremony for a park dedicated to Korean Queen Heo, in India’s northern city of Ayodhya.
According to legend, a young Indian princess from the city of Ayodhya was sent to Gimhae to marry King Kim Suro in AD 48. Princess Suriratna, who became known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok had ten offspring.
Many South Koreans visit Ayodhya, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, every year. In 2001, Ayodhya and Gimhae, in the South Gyeongsang province of Korea, became sister cities.
Foreign policy analysts see the South Korean First Lady’s visit as an important milestone in bilateral relations. Former diplomat Skand Ranjan Tayal said, “In Korea, they are proud of this legacy (of the Indian-born princess). In India, it is not well known. Now with the First Lady coming here and the whole ceremony, (it) will raise the profile of South Korea in the Indian people’s minds.”
