Invalid war veteran Yongi returns to his devastated home, and despite the hardships and hurdles, he pushes forward with an irrigation project. In this epic tale Shin plays a character that illustrates how enlightened citizens should act and who the agents of modernization should be.The poor farmers of Muju in Cheonbuk Province cannot get enough water to irrigate their rice. They attempt many times to build a canal to the Geum River, but fail each time. After the military coup of 1962 however, the government gives its full support and helps the villagers succeed