The article delves into the complexities of immigrant identity in contemporary society, particularly through the lens of a personal encounter with an elderly ethnic Korean man in a Central Asian grocery store in Seoul. The author reflects on their own identity as a Korean who has never left South Korea but still feels a deep sense of displacement and connection to the diaspora experience. This introspection is tied to the melancholic themes present in Cha Hak-kyung's works, which explore the immigrant experience through both fiction and non-fiction.