The People's Island is set in Geoje-do, South Korea and tells the story of a Korean boy entering adolescence, but stuck with a part-time job helping his father's fishing charter business. The father's assistant, Mr. Kang, is an ever-present force of oppression in the boy's life and a bitter enemy of the boy's mother. Eventually, the father and Mr. Kang set up shop on a small island, only for the boy to discover that the island is a cover for gambling and women. For the first time, however, on the island, the boy is allowed to fend for himself, to fish, explore and discover a new world of self-reliance.