In Nov 1945, when Kim Gu, president of the provisional government of the Republic of Korea, finished six years of exile in Chongqing and left for home, he expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government in an open letter for its "generous" financial support, especially when China itself was also experiencing extreme hardship.

That wartime friendship has not been forgotten by South Koreans, in that many still choose to pay a visit to the site of their exiled government when they visit China.

Now, as Chongqing, the largest city in China by population, opens itself to the world in pursuit of economic progress, memories of those dark days are frequently cited as an important emotional link between the two East Asian countries, which have a tradition of building business ties on personal relationships.