Nature does not negotiate, and COVID-19 proved it by triggering a real-time experiment on a self-confined civilization trying to cope with its effects over our most densely inhabited environments: cities. Just within weeks, South Korea shifted the world’s attention from its “Parasite” film’s satire on urban social inequality and modern isolation, to become one of the most virus-affected territories, ending up as a top reference on flattening the curve. Yet, Korean cities’ resiliency did not only rely on a trace, test and treat system, but on an emerging technology-based and human centered urbanism. This article aims to analyze the South Korean urban experiences which allowed them to overcome the current crisis and how this can guide the way for other cities in the post-COVID world.