Book excerpt: There was a time when the Republic of Korea (ROK) became the second highest in the world for the number of daily confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). But the country was able to quickly suppress the surge and reduce the number of confirmed cases. This report discusses the key factors for the successful response of the ROK to COVID-19 during the early phase of the pandemic. It analyzes how the ROK has performed in terms of comprehensive disaster risk management. The report also discusses lessons that the Asian Development Bank’s developing member countries can learn from the ROK’s COVID-19 response experience.