How was the life of the regular Korean people during the Japanese occupation? - How are they depicted in the book?

Except for minor characters, the important people in the story have no names but the generic familial identifying roles like father, mother and grandmother. This literary peculiarity ironically enhances their significance by universalizing them to all Koreans and perhaps beyond to any race of people disenfranchised by an occupying force.

The regular Korean people, who act in minor roles, are depicted universally. The students offers his assistance in speaking up for the woman's husband, the conductor is sympathetic to her plight, but unable to do anything more than offer the station clerk's assistance.

In terms of the younger Korean's, their lives go on as normal, outside of the fact that the children are well aware that the Japanese have no consideration or pity for them. The children play games, their teachers look out for them (or try to), they go out to eat, they swim, and they go to the movies.