The U.S. State Department wants state courts not to grant asylum to North Korean defectors with South Korean citizenship under Washington's North Korea Human Rights Act.

A Seoul official said the State Department delivered the position to courts in June after the Los Angeles Immigration Court granted asylum to a North Korean escapee with a South Korean citizenship last April. The same court had granted asylum to another North Korean woman just last month.

The official says the State Department does not regard the L.A. court rulings as having set a precedent.

After the L.A. court rulings, South Korea filed a protest with the U.S. government.

Some 20 applications for asylum by North Koreans with South Korean citizenship are pending at the LA court alone.