The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States held their first discussions on Friday since President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden and short-lived declaration of martial law, as the Biden administration has openly questioned its legitimacy in light of individual rights and liberties and voiced sharp criticism.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed domestic developments following Yoon's martial law declaration and exchanged views on the Korea-US relationship during their phone call, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

The statements of Seoul and Washington emphasize different things, however.

The US welcomed the lifting of martial law but shifted its emphasis to the role of the National Assembly.

"Blinken expressed deep concerns about the declaration of martial law in the ROK and welcomed the lifting of martial law following a unanimous vote at the National Assembly," the US State Department issued a statement on Thursday (local time) attributed to spokesperson Matthew Miller.

"The Secretary conveyed his confidence in the democratic resilience of the ROK during this period, and noted he expects the ROK’s democratic process to prevail," the statement read, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

The US statement emphasized the alliance's enduring strength and its commitment to standing with the Korean people, framing it as support for the country as a whole rather than backing the Yoon Suk Yeol administration.

"Secretary Blinken also reaffirmed that our commitment to the Alliance remains ironclad, and that the American people stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Republic of Korea and will continue to do so in the face of any provocations or threats to the Alliance," the statement read.

However, South Korea's Foreign Ministry underscored that Blinken and Cho “reaffirmed the US' unwavering support for South Korea's democracy and the Korea-US alliance” in its separate statement, adding both "agreed to maintain close communication at all levels between Korea and the US moving forward."

Cho also met with US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on Thursday afternoon to "offer a detailed account of the developments in the days following the declaration of martial law," according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

The US Embassy in Seoul has suspended its consular operations, including interviews for visas and passports since Wednesday.

Deterrence talks put on hold

The allies have postponed all discussions on bolstering deterrence capabilities and interoperability against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats -- likely the final such talks before the Biden administration's departure in January.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has called off his trip to Korea, initially scheduled to coincide with his upcoming visit to Japan, amid the turmoil here following Yoon's declaration of martial law.

"Korea and the US had sought to arrange a visit by US Secretary of Defense Austin to Korea this month. However, our side informed the US that, given the current domestic circumstances, the visit would not be feasible at this time," an official from Seoul’s Defense Ministry said Friday on the condition of anonymity.

The position of Seoul's defense chief has remained vacant since Yoon accepted the resignation of Kim Yong-hyun.

Seoul and Washington have postponed the Nuclear Consultative Group meeting and its inaugural tabletop exercise, initially set for Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, marking what was expected to be the Biden administration’s final NCG session.

The NCG is a bilateral consultative body aimed at strengthening extended deterrence to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula against North Korea's escalating and existential threats and in the region.

US rebukes decree as 'deeply illegitimate'

The Biden administration has taken the unusual step of publicly voicing opposition to and criticism of Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law, revealing that it learned of the declaration only after watching Yoon's televised news conference.

Vedant Patel, a State Department spokesperson, said Thursday “There are many questions that need to be answered regarding the decisions surrounding those developments," referring to Yoon's martial law decree.

"There is a number of questions that both we and the international community have, and those questions certainly need to be answered," Patel said during a televised press briefing. "And the issuance of martial law and then the implications that such a measure would have had for individual rights and liberties certainly is a matter to be taken incredibly seriously."

Patel also answered, "We expect (it) will be handled in accordance with the ROK Constitution,” when asked about South Korea's impeachment process, which is currently scheduled for a vote in the National Assembly Saturday at 7 p.m.

"We continue to support the rule of law and democracy in the ROK, which we think are the foundational pillars of our alliance," Patel added.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Wednesday issued an uncharacteristically sharp rebuke of Yoon, condemning his declaration of martial law as "badly misjudged," "deeply problematic" and "deeply illegitimate."

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan publicly also acknowledged that "we were not consulted in any way. We learned about this from the announcement on television the same way the rest of the world did."

Sullivan also emphasized that the US would continue its efforts to support democracy and the rule of law in Korea, stating, "We're going to continue to speak out publicly and engage privately with South Korean counterparts to reinforce the importance of that continuing as we go forward."