Dong-chun, an elementary school student overwhelmed with seven afterschool learning academies, stumbles upon a mysterious bottle of rice wine during a school retreat. As the rice wine ferments and emits strange sounds like Morse code, Dong-chun sets out to unravel its identity and discovers the secrets of the world and the reasons behind her current way of life.

During the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Japanese Empire seeks to eradicate the Korean language and identity. In retaliation, a small group of Korean patriots try to protect their language by compiling the first Korean language dictionary.

After completing his required decade of military service and being honored as a hero, a North Korean sergeant makes a sudden shocking attempt to defect to the South, risking life and limb for the chance to finally determine his own destiny.