A group of 97 North Koreans reunited with 436 of their long-lost South Korean kin at the Mount Geumgang resort in the North.

The reunion, which is the first round of two reunion sessions that will run from Saturday to Monday, began from three p.m. Saturday. Next week, 96 South Koreans will meet with 207 North Korean family members during the second round of reunion sessions from Wednesday to Friday.

The South Korean family members for the first reunion session departed from Sokcho at around eight a.m. Saturday and then entered the North via an overland route to arrive at the mountain resort at around one p.m.

The group reunion on Saturday lasted for around two hours. At seven p.m., the South Korean family members attended a welcoming banquet organized by the South in the family reunion center in the mountain resort.

On Sunday, individual reunions will take place from nine a.m.