Korean Americans in Los Angeles watch historic summit with hope for peace

KOREATOWN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- In a small Koreatown restaurant thousands of miles away from a historic summit, hopeful Los Angelenos raised their glass to the possibility of peace.

"This is an evening of great hope and great promise," Ronald Kim said.

In between cheering when President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took the stage, there were moments of reflection for people like Ronald Kim.

"I've been waiting virtually my whole life. I wish my father was here to see this. This was something that he deeply felt deep sorrow for for many, many decades," he said.

A mix of generations and cultures brought Irene Yoon to witness history with her family.

"I was born here so I am a Korean American so both sides of my identity lie between this event," she said.

Along the walls of the restaurant were also messages of peace and hope as well as a resounding plea to unify Korea into one. For some people, it's political.

"The fact that it's even gotten to this point is in no way a reflection of Donald Trump's policies and instead is a reflection of the determined struggle of people in North and South Korea," said John Prysner, with Answer Coalition.

Although some days it may feel like they're worlds apart - in this moment Monday night, Koreans everywhere watched together.