Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young backpedaled on Friday after coming under fire for disparaging remarks toward elderly voters, which were revealed Thursday in what was the worst possible start for the party's 13-day official election campaign.

During a hurriedly prepared news conference at the party headquarters, the 52-year-old leader of the pro-government party extended a deep apology for the comments.

``I deeply bow and offer my sincerest apology to all elderly people. I wish I could take back what I said and I beg your forgiveness, Chung said somberly.

The controversy over Chung's gaffe flared up Thursday when an Internet news outlet belatedly quoted him as saying that people in their 60s and 70s don't have to go to the polls and can just rest at home. 

In a move to minimize the backlash, Chung hurriedly returned to Seoul from his campaigning in the southwestern Cholla provinces.

``I didn't really mean to hurt senior citizens. I myself have an 83-year-old mother and how could I be so disrespectful to elderly people, he said. ``I just meant to encourage young people to vote because voter turnout among those in the 20s and 30s is important. 

He also dropped by several organizations for the elderly to make apologies earlier in the day. 

According to the Internet Kookmin Ilbo, Chung was briefly interviewed by the paper's video journalism team following a media conference at a Taegu hotel on March 26.

When asked if he would like to say something to young voters who are not interested in politics, he said, ``Young people were at the center of the candlelight vigils, and the future will be the time for those in their 20s and 30s.

``To take this a step further, there is no need for people in their 60s and 70s to decide about the future, because they will probably retire from the stage soon, he said.

The Internet newspaper said the statement was not discovered until Wednesday night during the course of editing the film footage. The paper posted the full statement and the video on its Web site.

Chung's remark prompted rival parties to launch barbed attacks. ``What he said is more than a trivial insult to elderly people, opposition Grand National Party's spokeswoman Jun Yeo-ok said. ``It is more like a grave debasement directed at our living history and those who have contributed to our society.