It became a huge box office hit upon its release; it drew an audience of 360,000, surpassing the top foreign film at the time, The Sting, by 30,000.

[1] After returning from the Vietnam War, Chang-su (Song Jae-ho), who works as a scrubber at a public bath, runs into Yeong-ja (Yeom Bok-sun) in a police station.

Wishing to live an upstanding life, she got a job at a garment factory, but her paltry wages were not enough to make ends meet.

Reuniting with her for the first time in three years, Chang-su is shocked to discover that she is living an armless life with no hope or prospects.

He pours all his care into saving her, including making her an artificial arm, but she leaves him for the sake of his future.