Korean director Kim Ki-duk's film begins with Han-ki (Jo Jae-hyeon), the leader of a gang of street thugs who patrol a Seoul red light district, becoming infatuated with Sun-hwa (Seo Weon), a college girl he glimpses in another part of the city. When he tries to force a kiss on her he is beaten up by her boyfriend, and his obsession takes an ugly turn. After discovering that she isn't as innocent as he originally thought, he finds a way to force her into prostitution on the street where he works. Her painful initiation becomes fodder for his voyeuristic impulses, and an uneasy, wholly unconventional relationship develops between them.