A young fisherman Yeong-sik lives in a fishing town with his blind old man and a younger sister of a marriageable age. They scrape along, making a scanty living, when his old father suddenly falls ill one day. He runs over to the doctor to ask for his help but is refused because he cannot afford the treatment. Enraged, Yeong-sik kills the doctor and is thrown in jail, and his younger sister Yeong-ae begins to work at a local bar. After he is released from jail, Yeong-sik searches near and far for his sister and father. He finally reunites with Yeong-ae but finds out that his father has passed away. Yeong-sik and Yeong-ae return to their hometown where Yeong-ae marries Tae-sik, who has always loved her and Yeong-sik vows to be strong, making a living from the sea.