India- Korea long lost cousins!

The legendary Indian princess "Suriratna" who became a South Korean queen "Heo Hwang-ok" wife of King Kim Suro (AD 23-AD 199) of Geumgwan Gaya, the founder and first king of Gaya Kingdom of Korea (Silla), traveled from the ancient kingdom of Ayodhya in India to Korea to marry the king. The legend of Heo is found in Garakgukgi (the Record of Garak Kingdom).

According to the legend, the courtiers of King Suro had requested him to select a wife from among the maidens they would bring to the court. However, Suro stated that his selection of a wife will be commanded by the Heavens. The Korean king waited for the Indian princess from Ayodhya, the capital of the Kosala Kingdom. Before marrying the king, the princess took off her silk trousers and offered them to the mountain spirit. King Suro tells her that he also knew about Heo's arrival in advance, and therefore, did not marry the maidens recommended by his courtiers.

The royal couple prospered.The queen had 12 children, 2 of whom carried her maiden name and the rest carried the Kim surname and Korean historians have connected that the current Heo, KimHae (Gimhae) Kim’s and Lee’s of Incheon trace their lineage to the bloodline of Ayodhya of India. According to some Korean historians there are more than six million present day Koreans with surnames Heo, Kim and 이 (Lee/Yi) that trace their lineage to the legendary queen. The legend states that the queen died at the age of 157.

People from the Karak dynasty have also preserved the rocks that are said to have been used by the princess during her sea voyage to Korea to keep her boat stable. As per reports, every year, hundreds of South Koreans visit Ayodhya, the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama, for paying homage to their queen Heo Hwang-ok.

An agreement was signed to develop Ayodhya and Gimhae as sister cities in 2000. Queen Hwang-ok's memorial is set on the west bank of the River Saryu in Ayodhya, India.