Chairman Chung Apologizes For Aged Voter Remarks

On April 2, Chung Dong-young, a president of Uri Party, held an urgent press conference regarding “his statement underestimating voters in their sixties and seventies” and declared an official apology.

“It would not be enough, even if I apologized 100 times,” Chung announced. “I sincerely apologize that my slip of the tongue hurt aged voters.

“Every day, my old mother keeps telling me at the door, ‘please be careful.’” Chung said. “If I followed her advice, it might not have happened. It is my deep regret.”

Before the press conference, Chung visited Ahn Phyl-jun, a president of Korea People, and Cha Hueng-bong, a president of a gerontology association academy, and apologized. After the press conference, Chung made a deep vow and apologized repeatedly at a restaurant in Seoul to presidents of organizations related to the aged.

Chung canceled his scheduled visit to Busan-Kyungnam and returned home afterwards.

“We have a suspicion that Chung’s statement was intended to influence voters in their sixties and seventies as a counterforce and to induce the gathering of voters in their twenties and thirties,” said Han Sun-kyo, a spokesperson of the Grand National Party, in response to Chung. “Chung should show us his sincere regret with a confession of the truth.”

Kim Young-chang, a deputy spokesperson of the Millennium Democratic Party, criticized Chung, saying, “Chung’s explanation is just crocodile tears, which is pretending to be sorry. It is his one tactic to obtain more votes in the general election.”

Young-Chan Yoon yyc11@donga.com