A North Korean soldier is severely wounded. He surrenders and is rescued by the South. The North Korean soldier surrendered to meet his father in the South. The soldier's last name is Han. He is 31 years old. His hometown is Heungnam. With those words, the soldier falls into unconsciousness. Meanwhile, the Heungnam Refugees Association sets out to find the father. They find three possible matches.

The poor farmers of Muju in Cheonbuk Province cannot get enough water to irrigate their rice. They attempt many times to build a canal to the Geum River, but fail each time. After the military coup of 1962 however, the government gives its full support and helps the villagers succeed

During the last days of the Yi dynasty, conflict arises between the China-leaning conservatives, and the Western-learning and Japan-leaning reformers over how to rule Korea in the future. The reformer Kim Okgyun helps persuade the king to announce Korea's independence, breaking with China. When a conservative agent informs China, Chinese troops enter Korea and end the reign of independence after three days.

After 10 years of marriage, Sun-young and Tae-yeon save up a significant amount of money. Tae-yeon runs a food processing company and works hard to expand business but Sun-young wants to enjoy the fruits of their labor. While partying with her friends, she meets fashion designer Pierre Kang and has an affair with him. When her infidelity is found out by her husband, he asks for a divorce. When he refuses to forgive her, she seeks it through suicide.

Choi Seok, the principal of a girl's high school, adopts Jeong-nim, a Japanese student there. However, they develop a disturbing relationship that scandalizes the local region. His family is disgusted and sends the girl back to Tokyo whil Choi Seok loses his job, but the two cannot stop thinking about each other

Seong-hoon becomes involved in an illicit affair with Moon-ok, the second wife of Choi Seok-pa, the chairman of a conglomerate, after helping her to the hospital when she fainted from vertigo. Choi Seok-pa schemes to use Seong-hun to protect his fortune from Moon-ok, but soon comes to his senses. Seok-pa's only daughter, Nan, falls in love with Seong-hoon, who has become cold-hearted in pursuit of his desires.

Abengo Corps is under the direct control of headquarters of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. In order to conceal the Inchon Landing Operation, Abengo is assigned to the Wonsan Landing Operation as a decoy mission. With the operation soon at hand, the members of this operation go on a special vacation to Busan. Among them is Il-gyu. He meets with Bae Su-na, a refugee, and they spend a passionate, touching night of love together. The members perform their duties as ordered. Lieutenant Colonel Koh receives a coded message from the headquarters. Koh realizes that his men are a diversion for the Inchon Landing Operation. Lieutenant Koh is angered and resentful. And Lieutenant Sung is chosen to enter the battle instead of Lieutenant Colonel Koh. During the January 4 Retreat, Lieutenant Sung meets Su-na, who has had Il-gyu's son. Lieutenant Sung helps her out.

South Korean Air Force pilots engage in perilous missions against Communist North Koreans during the Korean War.

When her husband goes away to America to study for three years, she gets lonely and begins to meet a young doctor. While troubled from guilty feeling, she approaches a young sculptor, In-cheol. As the anguish adds up, she writes a letter to her husband and confesses what has happened. The husband hurries to get a divorce but decides to forgive the wife in the end.