Members of Boston’s Korean community were closely watching the historic summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, hoping that the meeting will ease tension on the divided peninsula and contribute to eventual reunification.
Trump and the North Korean leader are both in Singapore for Tuesday’s meeting, the first-ever between US and North Korean leaders.
“We need peace,’’ June Kim, who lived in South Korea for 30 years before coming to the United States in 2011, said hours before the summit began. “We’ve been waiting for one nation since we’ve been separated. It’s something we want to happen, so you just have to believe.’’
Kim, assistant manager of Kaju Tofu House in Allston, said her confidence comes from her belief in the ability of South Korean President Moon Jae-In, who worked tirelessly to make the summit with the rogue nation a reality, to bring the Koreas together.
Kay Dong, president of the Korean-American Citizens League of New England, said she hopes there are more meetings between the two leaders in the future. Concrete breakthroughs may be hard to achieve in Singapore because of the huge gulf between the two sides over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile capabilities, among other sticking points.
“When you don’t hash out all the issues, just one meeting isn’t going to help,’’ Dong said.
But she appreciated that Trump took action by organizing the summit with Kim Jong Un. She said that past administrations “just talked about it.’’
“I want to see implementation and action,’’ Dong said.
Myong Sool Chang, editor of Boston Korea, a weekly newspaper and online news source that covers the Korean community in New England, said that he hopes the summit ends in a deal for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons — a development that could bring economic benefits.
“I also hope the US helps North Korea develop capitalism so that eventually the North and South can come together,’’ Chang said.
Kang Hyung Seok, who is visiting Boston from South Korea, said Monday that whatever the outcome, the meeting itself was encouraging.
“The fact that America is thinking about Korea, no matter who the president is, it’s positive either way,’’ Kang said through translator John Park.
But Park, the manager of BBQ Chicken in Allston, wasn’t sold on the summit. He believes it’s a political stunt.
“It’s a show, it’s all politics,’’ Park said. “Kim always threatens nuclear attacks because there’s sanctions or he’s running out of money or food. If Trump gets something about this, it will boost his agenda.’’
Park, a first-generation Korean-American, said his parents and grandparents view the situation with optimism and believe that the Koreas can be united one day. But he thinks that his upbringing in America and his exposure to American media made him skeptical about North Korea and the summit.
“I think of myself as American,’’ he said.
“That’s the only way I can see North Korea, as a very threatening state. I don’t trust them.’’
Outside the Korean community, local peace groups called for the US government to allow North and South Korea to negotiate a deal for peace on their own.
At a vigil Monday evening at the Park Street MBTA station, Paul Shannon, an organizer and member of the American Friends Service Committee, said he hopes that war is no longer considered a solution to the conflict.
“If these negotiations fail, God knows what will happen,’’ Shannon said. “This is the time to get this done.’’
Thomas Oide can be reached at thomas.oide@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @thomasoide.
