Gwang-ho retires as the principal of an elementary school in the Chungcheong province. In the past, he'd married the beautiful and young Yeon-ha. He came to the village and became the object of envy for the villagers. After the Korean War erupted, Gwang-ho went to Seoul for the school principals meeting. But when he returned, his school had changed into a clinic for the wounded soldiers of North Korean army and Yeon-ha had been dragged by communist soldiers and sexually abused. Yeon-ha was permitted to work as the cook for injured soldiers. After the enemy retreated, Yeon-ha appeared before Gwang-ho, who'd been wounded in battle, and committed suicide as a psychologically shattered woman.