On his visit to South Korea on Thursday, PM Narendra Modi was gifted a Bodhi tree sapling by the Mayor of Gimhae, as a mark of close ties between India and South Korea. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted on the micro blogging site that India and Korea has "historical and civilisational linkages".
Gimhae and Ayodhya have a sister-city relationship. According to a mythological legend, a princess from "Ayuta" is said to have married a king in Gimhae. Ayuta is believed to be Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. She was also the first queen of Geumgwan Gaya, the ancient name of Gimhae. A memorial of the Korean queen, named Heo Hwang-ok is located in Ayodhya. Gimhae and Ayodhya had signed an International Sister City bond in 2001 to formalize their relationship and encourage cultural development.
Prime Minister Modi reached Seoul early this morning on a two-day visit aimed at strengthening the special strategic partnership between South Korea and Indian and boosting bilateral trade and cultural ties. After his state visit in May 2019, this PM Modi's second visit to the Republic of Korea. PM Modi also unveiled a sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi at the Yonsei University and also paid respects at the National Cemetery in Seoul.
PM Modi has also been awarded the Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation for his dedicated service to international cooperation, global growth, and human development.