Internal Power Struggle Stirs Up DPK, Bodes Ill for Korea

Politics and elections in Korea can often be dynamic. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is coming apart at the seams even after it won 12 of the 16 metropolitan mayoral and gubernatorial races. Its approval ratings dipped to 38 percent, surprisingly tailing the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) for the first time since President Lee Jae Myung took office. The president's approval ratings dropped to 51.5 percent, according to a Realmeter survey conducted in the second week of June and announced Monday, while another poll conducted by Jowon C&I showed Lee's approval rate at 47.7 percent, the lowest since he took the presidency.

Factional strife may be at work in the DPK. The arrogance of the liberal ruling party, with its current grip on the government and the legislature, leaves it unable to read the sentiment brewing and spreading among young voters.

DPK leader Jung Chung-rae is in a tough spot, with the party losing the critical Seoul mayoral race during the June 3 local elections. The president has suggested that Jung take responsibility, saying on social media Sunday that the "ruling party must take responsibility for the nation's future and the lives of all citizens." Since the DPK's candidate lost the Seoul race, Jung has been facing mounting pressure to resign. He shot back by saying that "power is short," which was seen as a veiled slight, aimed at the president. His critics immediately retorted that "party leadership is short," as some in the party move for new leadership under outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.

The upcoming party convention in August highlights the tensions. The ruling party, which has been united in urging PPP accountability for former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial declaration, is now demonstrating its own dogged pursuit of power without care.

The internal rift will erode the efforts of the Lee administration to awaken and revitalize Korea's democratic norms and boost the economy through semiconductor-led growth and Korean stock market reform. It begets questions of how different the DPK is from the opposition or the 20th-century political factions that sought to seize power rather than pursuing responsible representation or governance.

Now is the time to look beyond electoral wins and take note of how the majority of Koreans feel the brunt of being left out of the country's economic surge. Those who have profited are purchasing real estate, again fueling a rise in housing prices. Young voters' participation in protests over ballot shortages in particular demonstrates the frustration of those in their 20s and 30s. Voters are asking whether there are policies or measures in place to address and tackle these issues.

The PPP is not free from internal friction. The party chief, Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok, is under similar pressure to step down, even as he steps up his criticism of the June 3 ballot shortages. The PPP leadership said it will file a petition challenging the local election results in up to nine mayoral and gubernatorial races. The ballot shortages have stunned the nation, yet Jang and his allies in the party are intent on exploiting the issue. The inadvertent gain the PPP has just seen, owing to the DPK's declining approval rating, is a chance for the opposition party to respond innovatively to the current public sentiment. Jang should grab this opportunity and use it to improve the conservative party. The first step lies in broadening the party leadership base and embracing possible competitors.

The infighting within the two main parties is likely to endanger democratic norms and practices, despite a period of improvement following the martial law fiasco of December 2024. While the main parties are grappling with internal conflicts, voters are in need of specific political and economic plans for future growth and an acceptable explanation for the ballot shortages. Failure to do so will drive a deep sense of political defeatism, especially among those in their 20s and 30s.