UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said China is a "very important contributor" to the settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.

"I was extremely encouraged by the recent visit of the leader of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to China. I think China is a very important contributor to a solution in this region," Guterres said to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

"And so, I'm very encouraged by the recent development and very encouraged by the announcement of the inter-Korean summit and I believe that in this world where, unfortunately so many problems lack solutions, I think there is an opportunity for a peaceful solution to something that few months ago, was the biggest danger we are facing," the secretary-general added.

The UN chief placed high hopes on the upcoming inter-Korean and the U.S.-DPRK summits, noting the resumption of the inter-Korean dialogue and the negotiation between the DPRK and the United States are "needed."

The UN chief said he encouraged both the DPRK and South Korea to move forward when he met the DPRK delegation and South Korean President Moon Jae-in during attending the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Officials of South Korea and the DPRK on Thursday agreed to hold the planned summit between their leaders on April 27 in the "truce village" of Panmunjom. Earlier, top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un paid an unofficial visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday, during which he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.