A mature political party would accept an electoral defeat with grace, no matter how painful it may feel, and resolve to do better next time. But not the opposition Democratic United Party, whose standard-bearer, Moon Jae-in, was soundly trounced in the presidential race. It looks as if it were on the verge of being drawn into a whirlwind of factional strife.

The opposition party is all the more vulnerable, given that it lacks strong leadership capable of keeping the party on an even keel when a storm is brewing. It is faced with the prospects of not just a looming factional conflict but opposition forces being reorganized.

During the run-up to the Dec. 19 presidential election, Rep. Lee Hae-chan, party chairman, resigned from his post under pressure from the party’s alliance partner ― the independent Ahn Cheol-soo and his supporters, who believed he was too rigid in his leadership to work with them. As the party had no time to select a new leadership, Moon took over the control of the party.

Now powerful figures in the party are starting to flex their muscles to take away the control of the party from the “pro-Roh” faction ― Moon, Lee and other party members that are united over the legacy of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. They are demanding that the pro-Roh faction be held accountable for the defeat in the presidential contest. It looks to be a matter of time before the party is embroiled in a protracted struggle for a leadership change.

Among the party members calling on the pro-Roh faction to take a back seat are those who demand that the opposition party create a new political party together with Ahn, who had bowed out of the race in support for Moon, his group of supporters, liberal activist organizations and a small progressive party.

But it is not the proper time for the opposition party to either engage in a factional conflict or talk about the idea of reorganizing opposition forces around itself. Instead, it needs to study what led to its defeat, humbly explain it to those who voted for Moon and ask for their understanding.

Otherwise, many of its supporters will certainly choose to desert the party at a time when Ahn is reportedly considering creating his own party to make a bid for the presidency in the next election. All the opposition party needs to do now is act wisely and ride out the approaching storm.