Lee Tae, a war correspondent, joins the North Korean partisan in 1950. But he soon feels torn by the partisan's activities and his own passivity. When the Operation Chung-ryong fails and Lee Tae and his men find themselves on the run from the punitive forces. Injured while on the run, Lee Tae is taken care by Park Min-ja and they soon fall in love. But when he is called back to duty by headquarters, they are forced to go their separate ways. As the winter weather worsens, Lee...more

Lee Tae, a war correspondent, joins the North Korean partisan in 1950. But he soon feels torn by the partisan's activities and his own passivity. When the Operation Chung-ryong fails and Lee Tae and his men find themselves on the run from the punitive forces. Injured while on the run, Lee Tae is taken care by Park Min-ja and they soon fall in love. But when he is called back to duty by headquarters, they are forced to go their separate ways. As the winter weather worsens, Lee Tae and his men fight in the Yakdam Peak battle and there he meets the poet Kim Young. They discuss the futility of fighting one's own people. The North Korean partisan in South Korea cornered in the hills of Mt. Jiri and there he meets the legendary Commander Lee Hyun-sang. He is also astonished by Kim Hee-sook's courage. From this point on, he becomes an official member of the political party of the partisan. When the news of a truce is heard, the members are thrown into turmoil. Hunger and the weather drive them to destitution and during the last battle Lee Tae is taken prisoner by the punitive forces. His long battle for the partisan comes to a close. less