Fisherman Choon-sam (Yoon Buk-yang) is suffering financially because of a prolonged scarcity of fish. Pestered by miserly Mr. Jang to pay back his debt, Choon-sam goes out to sea in hopes of a catch but meets a watery end instead. As payment for the debt, Mr. Jang tries to take Choon-sam's daughter In-soon as his second wife. Meanwhile, In-soon (Park Noh-kyung) is mutually in love with Chun-suk (Park Hak), but torn about the suggestion of Ok-bun (Chun Hyo-bong), who lives in Seoul, to join her in the city. In order to get a job and pay back her father's debt, In-soon follows Mr. Jang's son Chul-soo to Seoul, not knowing that he harbors illicit intentions toward her.
This was the first feature film to be produced after the liberation of North Korea. It gives a pictures of boundless joy and emotion of the Korean people who are now liberated from the colonial yoke of Japanese imperialism thanks to the glorious anti-Japanese struggle organized and led by the great leader Comrade Kim Il-Sung. Unable to endure the insult of the landlord, Gwan Pil gives vent to his rage. Because of this, the Japanese imperialists deprive him of his tenant land and put him in jail where he gains class consciousness under the influence of a KPA operative.
Jung-ae volunteers at a juvenile prison when she graduates from college; but the violent boys threaten her safety. Her boyfriend visits and begs Jung-ae to quit. She considers but feels compelled to continue; until the day when an escapee puts her methods at risk. Will she get to the escaped boy in time? Will his negative attitude convince her to quit, or will she affect him positively? And will there ever be happiness at the prison?
