South Korea has a growing number of cases.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-kore...

Mask mandates can be marginally useful in slowing down the spread on a temporary, limited basis. But they're obviously unsustainable. The virus is here to stay and asymptomatic people aren't going to wear masks forever. Much of the spread takes place inside private homes where no one wears masks.

I thought we were still talking about the beginning of the pandemic? South Korea did fend off the virus through contact tracing, mask mandates and lockdowns early on. Unfortunately most other countries did too little too late which was my original point.

The result being that by now we have a full blown ever-pandemic at hand - which includes South Korea by definition.