We start out in Seoul, where Senior Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi has met with several South Korean officials during his trip, including with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The trip comes after Kim Jong Un's unofficial visit to China earlier this week. Shane Hahm takes a closer look at why all eyes are on Yang's visit amid fragile conditions on the Korean Peninsula.

He's a lifelong diplomat and a former Chinese foreign minister. Now as President Xi Jinping's right-hand man on foreign policy, Yang Jiechi is in South Korea as President Xi's special representative. Yang's trip comes just days after DPRK leader Kim Jong Un paid an unofficial visit to Beijing.

YANG JIECHI CHINESE PRESIDENT XI'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE "We believe Kim Jong Un's visit (to China) will help the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, ensure peace and security of the Korean peninsula and resolve problems regarding the peninsula through political negotiations and discussions."

Yang's first order of business in Seoul was to meet South Korean presidential security adviser Chung Eui-yong. The two had met earlier this month when Chung flew to Beijing as a special envoy to brief Chinese officials after his visit to Pyongyang. Now Yang is reciprocating as a sign that China and South Korea are in close coordination.

CHUNG EUI-YONG HEAD OF SOUTH KOREA'S NATIONAL SECURITY OFFICE "It is very meaningful that Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the South-North Korea summit and the North-U.S. summit."

The leaders of the ROK and the DPRK have agreed to meet at Panmunjom April 27 for a historic summit. And a meeting between Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled for late May. South Korea has played a major role in coordinating that meeting, but experts say it will take a concerted effort by all nations with a vested interest.

YANG MOO-JIN, PROFESSOR UNIVERSITY OF NORTH KOREAN STUDIES "The DPRK nuclear issue, the peace treaty issue, and even the issue of a peaceful reunification are difficult without the assistance from neighboring countries and the international community."

SHANE HAHM SEOUL The next couple of weeks will be critical in determining the long-term fate of the Korean Peninsula. If planned high-level summits with the DPRK somehow fall through, experts say any hopes for a peaceful outcome could be dashed. That's why they say it's all the more important for countries like South Korea and China to keep the dialogue going and resolve the complex situation through discussion and diplomacy.