South Korea warns of first potential lockdown as coronavirus numbers continue to rise South Korean health officials have warned residents to take current restrictions seriously, as the country faces the possibility of entering into its first potential lockdown since the beginning of the pandemic amid an alarming rise in new infections. South Korea has long been considered a model country for its effective response to multiple waves of coronavirus, earning praise from the World Health Organisation earlier this year after authorities successfully halted the spread of the initial outbreak. A park is taped off for the social distancing measures and a precaution against the coronavirus in Seoul, South Korea, December 16, 2020.(AP)