In 1946, Tae-woong, a man nicknamed "The Bear" who dominated the streets of Busan with his fists, have returned after twenty years. Tae-woong is still haunted by his former love, Yeonsuk, and is confused when he meets Jung-hee, who looks exactly like Yeonsuk. Meanwhile, Dal-ji, a former subordinate of Tae-woong's, schemes to get rid of him.

As the king succeeds to the throne, His Excellency Kim Han-Jik commits suicide after he entrusted his children to his faithful servant Lee Kang-Hak since he is afraid of being invited to a disaster. Newly charged lord of the town harbors an evil heart to Suk-Yong, Kim's daughter, rather he is on the edge of being killed by her. He is saved by Kang-Hak who kills her and Kim's sons. After that Kang-Hak is on a streak of success and finally becomes the lord of that town. One day Suk-Young's ghost appears to torture Kang-Hak while villagers are killed every day until Kang-Hak is the only survivor. On the day even Kang-Hak is supposed to be killed, His Excellency Kim's ghost takes other ghosts. After a while Kang-Hak wakes up and sets up a tombstone to console them.

The villagers of a remote fishing village on the west coast of Korea have a belief that if someone drowns in the sea, his spirit cannot depart until the next person dies. The drowning of one fisherman sets in motion a series of tragic events.