Yu In-chon, minister of culture, sports and tourism, talks during a meeting with the ministry staff on Thursday at Government Complex Sejong. (MCST)

Yu In-chon, the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, who temporarily suspended outside engagements amid the aftermath of the martial law declaration, urged ministry staff on Thursday to remain focused and committed while preparing for upcoming events.

“The current external conditions may make it difficult to implement policies. However, this is precisely the time to communicate sincerely with the field and convey the government’s genuine policies and intentions to the public,” Yu said on Thursday during a staff meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong Auditorium.

The six-hour upheaval sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s unexpected declaration of martial law — and its subsequent revocation by the National Assembly — has led to a leadership vacuum across various ministries. In response to the political crisis, all Cabinet members, including 18 government ministers, offered to resign, resulting in the temporary suspension of activities by Yu and vice ministers.

Despite this, the minister held a two-hour meeting with the ministry staff on Tuesday.

He also stressed the importance of ensuring that international cooperation events, such as the Korea-Japan Tourism Business Forum and the Korea-China-Japan Sports Ministers’ Meeting scheduled for December, proceed as planned.

While it remains unclear how the political environment might influence his ability to hold his position, he also discussed the policy goals of the ministry with staff members.

"The essence and ultimate goal of cultural policies is to tangibly improve the quality of life for our citizens and transform their way of living,” he said.

He also decided to reinstate an event originally canceled on Wednesday morning. On Friday, he plans to attend the 30th-anniversary ceremony of the Daegu National Museum and the groundbreaking ceremony for rental housing dedicated to young artists.