Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said the December 3 martial law incident has taken a toll on South Korea's diplomacy.

Cho said he believes diplomacy has been "seriously damaged" when asked about the matter during Friday's parliamentary questioning session regarding the diplomatic vacuum stemming from a travel ban issued on President Yoon Suk Yeol.

As for concerns over an adverse impact on ties with the United States, the minister pledged to focus on firmly maintaining the alliance and restoring trust in international relations.

He added that diplomacy is expected to normalize upon recovery of legal constitutional order.

Asked why he did not take a phone call from U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg on the night of martial law decree, Cho said at that time he was deeply tormented and conflicted about his fate as foreign minister.

Cho said he placed more importance on the content of the conversation over concerns that he could mislead Washington about the situation.