The United States and South Korea sit on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the successful containment of COVID-19. As South Korea enters its second wave of infections and the United States rides out a protest-ridden quarantine, a central debate has developed around public safety versus personal privacy, most notably in relation to LGBTQ rights. In the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak, South Korea responded with rapid quarantine measures, public safety campaigns, and a precision test and trace method now called the “K-quarantine Model.” The United States has fumbled its way through the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic with a patchwork of state quarantines across the nation that has worn down the patience and pockets of the American people.