1. According to the Korea Expressway Corp., some 5.2 million cars are expected to hit the road nationwide Friday, the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday. The Transport ministry designated over 130 locations on highways and roads for special management to ease congestion. Highway tolls will be exempt from Friday through Monday.

2. Four third-party forces which broke away from the ruling and opposition parties, have agreed to merge into one new party ahead of the April general elections. Related officials announced Friday that the envisioned party will be named the Reform Party.

3. According to North Korea's state media on Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again called South Korea the North's "primary foe" and vowed to guard the country through power rather than negotiations.