At the end of the Joseon Dynasty, shortly after the Eulsa Treaty has been forced to be concluded by Ito Hirobumi(Choe Nam-hyeon) and the pro-Japanese courtiers, Japan pressures King Gojong(Kim Seung-ho) to step down from the throne. Meanwhile, An Jung-geun, who is cultivating men of ability at Samheung school, is deeply impressed by a speech made by An Chang-ho, and heads for Russia to volunteer the army fighting for independence of the country. As both a lieutenant general of the Korean militia and a commander of the Korean expeditionary force in Manchuria, he carries on the independence movement in defiance of Japanese coercion. When he and his comrades are tipped that Ito Hirobumi is going to make a tour of inspection to northern Manchuria, they plan to shoot at Ito Hirobumi, the Japanese ruler. Their attempt succeeds, but they are arrested and sent to jail. At court, An Jung-geun holds fast to his views about the cause of independence against Japan, but he is finally executed in prison.