ARIRANG NEWS 18:00 Holiday traffic lightens up; more congestion expected on Lunar New Year's Day

Some early birds may already have made it to their hometowns to celebrate Lunar New Year holiday with their relatives. But as expected,... the mass exodus from Seoul that began yesterday continues on this first day of the four-day weekend. Still, traffic conditions are improving. Those hitting the road from Seoul at this hour can expect to arrive in Busan in around 6 hours; Daejeon, 3 hours and 20 minutes; Gwangju, 5 hours and 10 minutes; and Gangneung, in around 4 hours. Those are dramatic improvements from earlier in the day, when drivers could expect to be on the road around 2 hours longer to get to any of the aforementioned destinations. The Korea Expressway Corporation is advising travelers to be prepared for traffic conditions to get a bit worse tomorrow, which is actually Lunar New Year's Day, or Seollal, as they expect more than 4-point-5 million vehicles to be on the road nationwide. Title: Experts give healthy cooking tips for LNY dishes Lunar New Year's Day in Korea and traditional, savory dishes go hand in hand. But if you're looking to cut back on the calories, local food experts say there's plenty you can to do to cook up a storm of healthy and delicious holiday treats. Our Paul Yi reports. Here in Korea, the gathering of family during Lunar New Year's Day wouldn't be complete without the sound of sizzling meatballs and the hearty aroma of rice cake stew, or tteokguk. However, your typical Korean holiday feast can quickly fill up a table with delicious foods that are often high in fat and loaded with calories. But researchers at the Rural Development Administration say there are many ways to go healthy without sacrificing taste. For example, using fresh zucchinis instead of battered pork can give dishes a kick of flavor and a yummy texture. Other key cooking tips include avoiding frying foods with lots of oil in the frying pan and using less salt in favor of other spices. "There wasn't as big a difference in taste as I thought there would. Even though I used a lot of oil before, I guess it's better to cook with a little less grease so there's a lower amount of calories." These simple adjustments in recipes and ingredients can reduce the average level of calories in dishes by some 20 percent. And over a single holiday weekend, the nutritional savings can add up quickly. "Rather than using a lot of grease in baking or frying our foods, we used cooking methods such as grilling or boiling which use much less oil. We were also able to lower calories by using less fatty ingredients and using vegetables instead of meat." The smart culinary choices stay true to the traditional spirit of the lunar holiday by satisfying the appetites of loved ones, while wishing them good health in the New Year. Paul Yi, Arirang News Title: AI virus confirmed on two more farms, raising fears it's spreading eastward While the Korean government is making an effort to control the spread of the bird flu virus, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday, when many of the nation's residents will be traveling, it appears to be harder than ever to contain. Two more chicken farms confirmed the virus earlier this Thursday -- one in Hwasong,... in the central province of Gyeonggi-do,... and another in Miryang in Gyeongsangnam-do province. The contamination in Miryang is especially disturbing, as it shows the virus is gradually spreading eastward. Prior to that report, the virus had only been detected in the west. All of the chickens on the farm in Miryang have already been culled, while in Hwasong all chickens within a radius of three kilometers have been buried. Title: China, North and South Korea condemn Japan for distorting history at UN peace dialogue East Asian tensions flared at a United Nations Security Council debate on Wednesday, as Japan came under fire from neighboring countries on its attitude towards unresolved issues of history. While the theme of the day was about the lessons of war and how to build a lasting peace, the dispute just continued to grow. Kwon Soa reports. China, South and North Korea were united in condemning Japan for recent actions that have stirred controversy in East Asia, denying its wartime past and distorting history on Wednesday. This happened at a UN Security Council debate on war and peace marking the hundredth anniversary of the start of World War I. The accusations began to fly when China's UN ambassador Liu Jieyi said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's recent visit to the controversial Yasukuni war shrine had "closed the door to dialogue with China." South Korean Ambassador Oh Joon and North Korea's envoy Ri Tong-Il also criticized Japan's leaders for the visit.