This year, in January, my long-pending wish was fulfilled when I visited Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India to pay my religious homage in the Shree Ram Janmabhoomi and other temples including Hanuman Gadhi. However, it was not enough and my eyes were searching for the Korean Monument site, which is built at the birthplace of queen Huh. The monument has an inscription that states:
“According to Sam Kuk Yusa, an old history of Korea, Queen Huh, wife of King Suro who founded the ancient Karak kingdom, was born in the city of Ayodhya. Queen Huh was a princess of the kingdom of Ayodhya. Her Father, the King of Ayodhya, on receiving a divine revelation, sent her on a long sea journey to the Karak kingdom in Southern Korea to marry King Suro.”
Today Queen Huh’s descendants are more than six million - including the Kim Hae Kim, Huh and Inchon Lee clans. Among her famous descendants are General Kim Yoo-shin, who first united the Korean kingdoms in the 7th century, as well as contemporary Korean President Kim Dae-Jung and Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil.
This monument has been erected in the historic city of Ayodhya with heartfelt goodwill by the descendants of Queen Huh as a symbol of the ancient ties between India and Korea. I have already published an article in the ARSP newsletter and also in the Day After weekly magazine and explained my wonderful experience when I had visited Gimhae, South Korea in December 2017, a city near Pushan and I went to see the tomb of Queen Heo (Huh) and the famous seventh century monarch King Suro. The tourism office of Gimhae was very courteous to provide a lady guide who showed and explained the story behind. The guide showed me the pagoda which the princess had carried with her on her boat journey from India (Bharat) to Gimhae to meet King Suro. Of course, the stone of pagoda has worn out because sailors had the belief that it will protect them from any sea storm or natural calamity. The pagoda is made of a sandstone, which has been confirmed by scientists and historians to have originated in India.
Queen Heo (Huh) also carried with her an herb which is still very popular in the region and it is believed that its leaves and flowers have curing facilities. It looks like tea leaves. In the local language, it is called Tangun tea.
At the tomb of Queen Heo there is an emblem with a pair of fish called Ssangeomun. It was the national emblem of Garakguk and a symbol of religious belief. Fish is considered as the intelligent existence that protects men.
Queen Heo, the wife of King Suro, was the princess of the Indian Ayuthya Kingdom and her full name was Heo Hwang. She was called Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya in India. In 48 AD when the Princess Suriratna of Ayodhya was 16 years old, she sailed to the Garak Kingdom and married King Suro, the founder of the Garak Kingdom. In 189 AD she passed away. Queen Heo made her two of her 10 sons follow her last name just before she died. It was thus the Heos of Gimhae were created and they say that the marriage of the Kim’s of Gimhae with the Heos of Gimhae are still prohibited. Ayodhya is declared the sister city of Incheon – where the temple dedicated to the queen is located.
Today geopolitics has changed and Koreans should decide their fate. The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs should work closely with the Ministry of Unification of South Korea and also KOIKA as well as with the Korean Foundation and other civil society partners and NGOs to pave the way for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. India can use its position of trust by both the countries to bring them closer. When President Roh moo-Hyun visited New Delhi, he said, “We are cousins’”.
In 2018, India and South Korea jointly issued a press statement that stated, “The two leaders (Indian Prime Minister and the South Korean President) underlined the paramount importance of peace and stability on the Korean peninsula. In this regard, they expressed concern over the development of DPRK’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, which is in violation of its international obligations and commitments. They urged the DPRK to fully comply with all of its international obligations, including under the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and to fulfill its commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks.”
India can play a very strategic role in realizing the dream of unification of Koreas. India has good relations with both North and South Korea. Many million Koreans believe that their ancestors came from Ayodhya.
The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) of Dr. Hyun Jin Moon can play a very strategic role in uniting families located on either side of the Korean border. The GPF has agreed to organize a Global Peace Leadership Convention (GPLC) in early 2023 in New Delhi, India to promote “Vasudhav Kutumbakam” the ancient philosophy of India to unite the humanity under one umbrella through spreading consciousness and spirituality for building peace at the global level. This is a unique opportunity and India can assist in that process through empowering Korean people to bring change from inside and promote the unification of the Korean peninsula.
The author is the President, Global Peace and Development Service Alliance (GPDSA)
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