Long ago, there's a story from Korea about a young princess from Ayodhya. She sailed across the sea, about 2,000 years back, and traveled around 4,500 kilometers to Korea. There, she married King Kim Suro, who started the Gaya Kingdom. The princess, called Suriratna, became Queen Heo Hwang-ok.
In India, not many know about this tale. But in South Korea, around 60 lakh people believe they are Suriratna's descendants. They think of Ayodhya as their ancestral home. That's why lots of them watched the consecration of the Ram Temple online on January 22.
Now, they're eager to visit Ayodhya and see the new Ram temple up close.
Every year, many from the Karak clan go to Ayodhya. They go to pay respect at Queen Heo Hwang-ok's memorial in Queen Heo Memorial Park. This park was made in 2001 by the Uttar Pradesh government and Gimhae city in South Korea.
This story shows how South Korea and Ayodhya share a special connection. It's a simple tale of friendship between faraway lands.