ThemoviebeginswiththemysteriousdeathofajournalisticphotographernamedKimCheol-hun.VeteranpolicedetectivePark(KimSeung-ho)teamsupwithayoung,intellectualdetective(KimSeong-ok)toinvestigatethepeoplesurroundingKim.Hislandlord,hismother,andhisyoungersisteroffernosubstantialclues.FindingalettertoKimfromnovelistHanJeong-wu,thedetectivesmeetwithHan,whotellsthemaboutanovelentitledTheGeneral’sMustachethatKimwrote.Thenoveltellsthestoryofagreatgeneralwholiberateshisnation.Thepeoplegrowmustacheslikethegeneral’sasatributetohim,buttheprotagonistrefusestodosoandbecomesanoutcast.AftertalkingtoHan,thedetectivesfindnothingsuspiciousabouthim.Instead,theygotoformerdancerSin-hye(YoonJung-hee),whousedtolivewithKim,andhearthedetailsabouthislife.AccordingtoSin-hye,Kimwasaromantic,buthecouldnotadapttoreality.Sin-hyehadfallenforhisromanticsensibility,buteventuallyshetiredofhimandlefthim.Kim’sdeathoccurredshortlyafterwards.Thepolicerulehisdeathasuicide.
