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Staff Reporter
The Indian ambassador in Seoul took an unusual but fascinating and direct means to carry out his duty as diplomat promoting the relationship between the two countries, by publishing a book.
The book, titled “Silk and Empress,” is a fiction woven into the Korean history that the founding king of the Gaya Kingdom, Kim Su-ro, had an Indian wife, known to Koreans as ``Huh Hwang-ok.’’
Ambassador N. Partharsarathi said, ``It was my interest to dig out and see how much is there. And once you start digging, you realize so much of the similarity between Korea and India in culture.’’
The story follows a journey of the king and an Indian princess, Suriratna _ implying brown gem stone _ from when they were born and grew up to when the princess sets out on a journey for her prospective husband, crossing an ocean for the first time and their finally coming together.
Cultural similarities are easy to be found in the book. People of the Gaya Kingdom and India’s Kosala Kingdom are both very religious.
They seek blessing and approval from the higher power. They both appreciate and repent to their higher power during the time of happiness and grieving, and have a median that communicates the people and the divinity.
Parthasarathi pour out similarities he found. Buddhism, Hinduism, respect for the elders, etc., he said. ``There are a lot of similarities between the two countries. The only thing is in past few decades, both countries didn’t have time to once again renew our friendship again."
India and Korea established diplomatic relations in 1973. Bilateral trade was $9.17 billion last year and it is expected to exceed $10 billion this year.
Negotiations on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA), more comprehensive economic agreement than a free trade agreement (FTA), are underway between the two countries, with half way through. The negotiation is expected to be finalized before the end of this year, the ambassador said.
Inspiration for the book writing came into being several years after Parthasarathi had first heard the history. It was when President Roh Moo-hyun visited India in 2004. “It didn’t make much meaning to me,” the ambassador said.
When he arrived in Seoul as an ambassador, however, the once meaningless story regained its color in his mind, especially as he made tours of the sites of King Kim Su-ro in Gaya, now Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
In the prologue, he shares what had become a pivotal inspiration of his book writing. He visited tombs of the king and his wife, Huh, and Jinpung monument in Gimhae.
At night, he had a dream of the monument calling him back out. He walked back to the monument and listened to divine voices stemming from within the burial vault telling him stories about the monument.
Explaining somewhat spiritual experiences in the prologue, the ambassador said such an experience is nothing but personal and sometimes inexplicable.
Asked how much research he has done, he said, ``When you do something, you have to do it fully. If you do research, you should do the most and the best.”
Parthasarathi dedicated the book to Korea and the Korean people. ``It’s not just heritage of the king. It is one of the Korean people, and it’s for you, the Korean people, to read.’’
He expressed special thanks to the publisher, Yeobaek Media, and its CEO, Kim Seong-bong, for his commitment and efforts for the book to come about.
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