Author name: Gayatri Rai

People today often discover South Korea through K-pop sensations like BTS and BLACKPINK, or popular Korean dramas. But what many don’t know is that the connection between India and Korea goes back more than 2,000 years — long before K-pop, and even before modern nations existed. It’s a forgotten chapter of history, hidden in legend, where an Indian princess crossed the sea to become a Korean queen. This is the story of King Kim Suro and Princess Suriratna also known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok , a beautiful tale that connects Korea and India, even though they are thousands of kilometres apart.  A long time ago, around the year 42 CE, a great king named Kim Suro founded the Gaya Kingdom in southern Korea. He was known for being wise, kind, and a strong leader who united different people under one rule. What makes his story more interesting is how he met his queen. According to Korean legends, a princess named Suriratna had a dream in which she was told to marry King Suro in a faraway land. Trusting this message, she set out on a long sea journey from her home in Ayuta—a place many believe is Ayodhya, in present-day India. Although her real name was Princess Suriratna, but after coming to Korea, she became known as Queen Heo Hwang-ok. She arrived in Gaya with a group of people and gifts. Soon after, she married King Suro and became the first queen of the kingdom. Her arrival brought Indian culture, traditions, and perhaps even early trade to Korea. This royal couple’s story shows how connected ancient people could be, even without modern transportation or communication. Their union is one of the earliest known cultural links between India and Korea. Today, millions of Koreans—especially those with the surnames Heo and Kim—believe they are descendants of Queen Heo. To honour Queen Heo Hwang-ok’s legacy, a memorial was first established in Ayodhya, India, in 2001 with support from the South Korean government. Later, in 2018, South Korea’s First Lady Kim Jung-sook visited Ayodhya and took part in a ceremony to expand the site. A larger, more developed memorial park was planned to celebrate this ancient connection. The expanded version of the memorial was completed and officially inaugurated in 2023, turning it into a lasting symbol of friendship between the two nations, and many Koreans visit it to honour their Indian ancestor. The story of King Suro and Queen Heo Hwang-ok (Princess Suriratna) is more than just a legend—it’s a powerful symbol of friendship and connection between two ancient civilizations, a bond that continues to be celebrated today. Their story was also brought to life in the Korean drama Kim Su-ro, The Iron King, which aired on MBC in 2010. The series starred Ji Sung as King Suro and Seo Ji-hye as Queen Heo Hwang-ok, dramatizing their journey across cultures and the founding of the Gaya Kingdom. While the drama may not have gained global fame, it helped keep this ancient love story alive in Korean popular culture.