DPK factional divide becomes more visible after local elections

President Lee Jae Myung greets ruling Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Jung Chung-rae, who bows deeply to welcome the president upon his return from a 10-day diplomatic tour of Europe, at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. Yonhap

A simmering factional divide within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has become increasingly visible nearly two weeks after the June 3 local elections, with loyalists of President Lee Jae Myung and party Chairman Jung Chung-rae exchanging mocking labels that lay bare the depth of the rift.

The antagonism has proved more entrenched than many had assumed. Those aligned with the president have sought to disparage pro-Jung figures with a derogatory acronym: "Moon-Cho-Teol-Rae-Rhyu." The acronym, which references former President Moon Jae-in and four of his notable associates, including Jung, is crafted from syllables of their names and well-known personal traits of Moon and his allies — Cho Kuk, Kim Ou-joon, Jung and Rhyu Si-min.

The former president remains a potent force within the DPK despite Lee having taken control of the party before being elected as president in June 2025.

Cho served as Moon's justice minister, while Kim, a left-leaning journalist and broadcaster, is known for his trademark thick beard, earning him the nickname “teolbo,” or bearded man, from which the syllable “teol” is derived. Jung was an outspoken pro-Moon lawmaker before rising to lead the DPK under the Lee administration. Rhyu’s ties to Moon date back to the 2003-08 administration of late President Roh Moo-hyun, when Rhyu served as health and welfare minister while Moon was Roh’s presidential chief of staff.

The acronym became more widely known after the local elections, with the party ending up with less-than-satisfactory election results despite Lee's high approval ratings.

The party won 12 of the nation's 16 metropolitan mayoral and provincial governorship elections but lost the Seoul mayoral race — widely regarded as the bellwether of national politics — as well as several closely watched battleground constituencies in parliamentary by-elections held concurrently with the local elections.

Jung has faced heavy criticism for the outcome, with Lee openly expressing disappointment by saying that losing races the party was expected to win meant the elections were “at least not a success.”

The pro-Jung camp has hit back with a less widely known acronym, “Han-Kang-Se-Ddong-Dwae-Ju-Gil,” which targets seven figures seen as close to the president.

The term also combines syllables derived from the names and personal traits of Lee's allies — Han Jun-ho and Kang Deuk-gu, both DPK lawmakers; Prime Minister Kim Min-seok; YouTubers Lee Dong-hyeong and Kim Yong-min; DPK Rep. Lee Un-ju; and Rep. Song Young-gil, who was newly elected to the National Assembly during the June 3 by-elections.

When read together, the syllables roughly translate to “May Han River bird droppings befall you,” underscoring the nickname's intentionally mocking nature.

Analysts expect the factional feud to intensify ahead of the DPK's leadership election in August.

Jung is seeking reelection as party leader, while Prime Minister Kim — whom Lee has repeatedly praised for his achievements in the administration's first year — is set to challenge him for the chairmanship.

"The two sides are now using extremely hostile language against one another, especially given that the next party leader will oversee preparations for the 2028 parliamentary elections," said Kim Keun-sik, a political science professor at Kyungnam University.

Another analyst expressed a similar view, on condition of anonymity.

“The relationship between the president and the next party leader matters because it could heavily influence selection of candidates for the next parliamentary elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, some figures associated with the two factions appeared eager to avoid further escalation as it may ultimately harm the ruling party.

Among pro-Jung figures, Rhyu said he would “distance himself from the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation for the time being,” stepping down from his standing adviser role. Although Rhyu completed his term as chairman of the foundation in 2021, videos of his book events and discussions unrelated to Roh continue to be uploaded to the foundation's YouTube channel.

Cheong Wa Dae also invited Jung to a ceremony to greet the president returning from a 10-day diplomatic trip in Europe, Thursday.

The scene drew attention because Jung, unlike the prime minister, was absent from Lee's send-off ceremony on June 9, fueling speculation over a deepening rift between him and the president. This time, however, Jung and the prime minister appeared side by side to welcome Lee home, widely read as an attempt to project unity.