Yes, but South Korea has such a good system that is only more prepared now than it was when this started. They will be just as successful at controlling any further outbreaks or spreading. This isn’t rocket science, but it is science. “Lock everybody inside and don’t let anybody do anything for months” is the approach of someone confused, ignorant and desperate. We need a balanced approach that accepts the basic principles of freedom, establishes guidelines that don’t interfere with daily life for most people, and quarantines only the sick or those coming in from outside the border.
South Korea has, I think, a culture that is very attuned to biological threats. Their neighbor to the west (China) has abominable market habits where they slaughter and sell just about anything that moves, causing outbreak after outbreak of deadly diseases, like avian influenzas H5N1 and H7N9 and the coronavirus SARS. Their neighbor to the north has a madman leader who is always threatening nuclear, biological, or chemical doom to the south. Thus, Koreans are always aware of threats in a way that we are not. When I went to Korea, every single tour guide talked about the situation with North Korea. Really, they live with threats that most Americans can’t even understand.
It is within this context that South Korea was able to effect quarantines, social distancing, etc., without the government having to put much force into the recommendations. Because the Koreans were very dedicated to doing whatever they can to stop the spread of a dangerous disease. Contrast that to America, where a number of people dismiss Covid-19 as a government conspiracy and do not take the threat seriously at all.