In a surprising announcement, the Korean Centers for Disease Control (KCDC) announced on Monday, April 13, that “at least 116 people initially cleared of the new coronavirus had tested positive again.” The exact reasons for this are not clear, though they are likely to have relapsed with their coronavirus reactivating instead of catching the virus again.

This declaration came as South Korea plans to hold national legislative elections on Wednesday, April 15. Whether this effort works well or if it causes a spike in new cases will be a test for the democratic world. Hopefully, the South Korean experience succeeds and their measures will be learned from.

Among the plans for safe voting is a list of guidelines from the KCDC. Those include checking everyone for a fever at the polls and then having them disinfect their hands and wear gloves. In addition, Koreans are expected to wear face masks and keep their distance from each other. Seoul is also working to provide separate polling centers and early voting for those with any symptoms.

The overall number of COVID-19 cases has been going down and South Koreans are eager for a return to normalcy as unemployment payments reached a record of $738 million in March. Yet overall, it appears that Seoul has handled the crisis well and this will likely help President Moon Jae-in on election day. South Korea has widespread and rapid testing, extensive contact tracing, and has concentrated social distancing in hotspots. These measures made it unnecessary to completely shut down their economy, minimizing job losses compared to America or China.

If all goes as planned, South Korea may ease some of its more stringent social distancing orders around April 19.

John Dale Grover is a Korean studies fellow at the Center for the National Interest and an assistant managing editor for The National Interest. He writes about North and South Korean issues.