In 1945, after the end of the Japanese occupation in Korea, the nationalist government, supported by the Americans, began fighting against the communistically minded part of the population. In 1948, troops landed on the island of Jejudo, where a young girl, Chun-ju, lived with her mother and grandmother—who were divers. Every day they went down into the sea to get food and sell it. However, the repression intensified, and people began to be killed on suspicion. Chun-ju’s mother was one of the victims, and her fiancé, Suvol, barely survived. Chun-ju understands that terrible trials lie ahead and that she must find a way to live through this harsh world.