Justice Minister Chun Jung-bae says the recent move to the United States by a North Korean defector who obtained South Korean citizenship should not serve as a precedent.

In a meeting with South Korean correspondents in Washington Tuesday, he said the case of Seo Jae-sok only reflects the decision of a U.S. immigration court, adding Washington says the move had nothing to do with the 2004 North Korean Human Rights Act.

A former North Korean military officer, Seo went to the United States in 2004 with his wife and two children through the Mexican border.

Chun also hit the Los Angeles immigration court that granted Seo asylum, saying his move should not serve as a precedent for other defectors.