東鎮是出入境管理局的員工，負責取締不法居留者和非法偷渡者。某天，東鎮去練歌房唱歌紓壓時，叫了一名陪歌服務員蓮花，她是從東北偷渡過來的。幾天之後，人口販子抓了蓮花的弟弟純福，以此要脅蓮花。沒想到，對蓮花一見鍾情的東鎮，自此慢慢踏上了不歸之路…

Dong-jin works at the immigration office, detecting illegal immigrants and entrants. He rarely meets his father, who has Alzheimer's disease, and it's awkward for him to meet his brother, Dong-seok, and his family. Nam-il, a colleague, uses his position to commit corruption and the youngest, Eun-seong, is too compassionate. One day, Dong-jin meets an ethnic Korean call girl named Yeon-hwa and starts to like her. She gets a call from a broker that he's withholding her niece, Soon-bok, who escaped from the North. Looking at Yeon-hwa and Soon-bok's sadness and innocent lives, Dong-jin's life begins to change. His father dies and Yeon-hwa kills herself. Dong-jin tries his best to save Soon-bok. He risks everything for her, but his efforts become worthless when Nam-il frames him for his irregularities and Eun-seong betrays him to protect their own family. Dong-jin loses everything and is left only with his search for Soon-bok.

불법체류자와 밀입국자의 적발을 일상으로 살아가는 출입국관리사무소 직원 '동진'. 가족과 직장동료 모두와 이렇다 할 관계를 맺지 못한 채 외로운 일상을 살아가던 '동진'은 어느 날 노래방에서 만난 조선족 도우미 '연화'에게 호감을 품게 된다. 그러던 중 탈북한 조카 '순복'을 데리고 있다는 갑작스런 브로커의 전화 한 통에 혼란에 빠지게 된다. '연화'의 슬픈 사연과 '순복'의 순수함과 삶에 대한 의지로 냉정하기만 했던 '동진'의 일상에 조금씩 변화가 생기는데...