UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 14 -- The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the agreement between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) to hold family reunions as scheduled.

Ban is "particularly encouraged" by the result after his calling for the reunion to be held as planned, saying "this important development is a step in the right direction."

Ban has encouraged the DPRK, during his meeting earlier this month in Sochi with Kim Yong Nam, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly to follow through the family reunion agreement.

In a statement, Ban "encourages both sides to keep up the momentum by continuing high-level engagement and taking further steps to build confidence and trust."

DPRK and ROK agreed on Friday to hold the reunion of separated families at Mount Kumgang from Feb. 20 to 25 as scheduled, at their second round of senior-level talks held in the border village of Panmunjeom. Last week, the DPRK's National Defense Commission suggested that the agreed reunion might be reviewed.