Following the death of his parents, Yeong-cheol shines shoes in the streets, struggling to care for his sick younger sister Yeong-hui and make ends meet. Despite the persuasive efforts of low-life criminal boss Wang-cho, pickpocket Jjang-gu, and prostitute Mi-hwa, Yeong-cheol vows to lead an honest life by looking after Yeong-hui with cigarette salesgirl Myeong-sun and helping newly arrived shoeshine boy Dong-seok settle in. However, a tragic accident forces Yeong-cheol to make an important decision that may change his life. ※ Sharing the same Korean title with Vittorio De Sica’s classic Shoeshine (1946), this film was noted at the time of release for its strong neorealistic approach. All of the picture elements have been lost and only 4 original sound negative reels (around 40 minutes) survive today. The plot summary and scene descriptions have been added in the form of title cards as well as a selection of production stills to aid the viewing experience.

Seoul, under a drizzling spring rain; Korea is under the rule of Japan. A gisaeng(Korean geisha) named Jeong-ok (Ju Jeung-nyeo) and Myeong-gyu (Lee Min), the son of a bank president, fall in love. However, the bank president, Lee Eun-jik (Kim Seung-ho), placing importance on family background, objects to his son's relationship because of Jeong-ok's occupation. However, Myung-gyu leaves home and sets up a home with Jeong-ok. When Myung-gyu dies, Jeong-ok has his baby, named Yeong-gu (Park Geum-hui). When Eun-jik brings Yeong-gu home to raise him as the family's successor, he becomes impressed with the close relationship between mother and son, finally bringing Jeong-ok into his household and accepting her as his daughter-in-law.