After losing his best friend in a fierce battle against Baekje in the first year of Queen Jindeok's reign, Hwarang Won-hyo (Choi Moo-ryong) questions life and death and becomes a monk. Despite being courted by countless women, from Queen Jindeok (Lee Min-soo) to Princess Yoseok (Kim Ji-mee), Sammo (Moon Jung-sook), and Asaga (Cho Mi-ryung), Won-hyo resists all temptations. Until one day, when he is moved by Princess Yoseok's desperate prayers, he wanders the streets, feeling guilty for his disloyal behavior.
Based on the novel by Chun Won Lee Kwang-soo, this religious historical fiction is a drama about the life of the greatest Korean monk, Wonhyo. It was made in the early 1960s amidst the boom of large-scale history film, and is unusually set in the Silla period. It is not just a religious drama, but a work that emphasizes Wonhyo's human side and love story, and is interesting for its portrayal of his personal relationships and the changing circumstances surrounding him.