The film is based on the massacre at Gwangju on May 18 1980. It occurred when President Chun Doo-hwan tried to eliminate any rebels by using military force.

Min-woo leads a relatively peaceful life with his younger brother Jin-woo—until the day the soldiers go on the rampage against the citizens. The citizens form a militia determined to protect their loved ones, and Min-woo finds himself in the middle of it all.