According to legend, an Indian princess Suriratna from Ayodhya in northern India sailed in the first century AD to Gaya, an ancient Korean kingdom, and in AD 48 married King Kim Suro, the monarch of Gaya. She had left India at the urging of her father who had a dream that the King was unmarried and searching for a wife. Suriratna did indeed marry the King and took the name Heo Hwang-ok while bearing the King several sons, two of whom kept her family name. Many Koreans trace their lineage back to Queen Heo and King Kim, including one of the co-authors of this book.

Despite the long history of close relations this love story might suggest, modern ties between South Korea and India have been relatively modest. During most of the Cold War, Seoul and New Delhi viewed each other with a fair degree of suspicion. However, in the early 1990s ties between them began to grow, and while having a great deal of promise, particularly on the economic front, at this point in time lack depth. In the political and security realm, both sides have some clear common interests, but it is uncertain how deep these ties can grow beyond the usual surface-level statements of cooperation and mutual concerns. Yet, the potential for greater cooperation remains.