N. Korean company targeted by U.S. sanctions

The Bush administration is worried about North Korea's development of long-range missiles

PORTLAND, Ore. (CNN) -- In a largely symbolic gesture the Bush administration has issued sanctions against a North Korean aerospace company for selling missile technology to Yemen, an administration official has told CNN.

Earlier this month, the State Department imposed sanctions against Changgwang Sinyong Corp. for selling Scud missile parts.

The sanctions -- to be filed in the coming weeks by the State Department in the Federal Register -- prohibit the company from doing business in or with the United States for two years.

However the move is largely symbolic because there are no dealings between the company and the United States.

The administration official said the sanctions are "meant to stress a point" rather than have any tangible impact, but added "sales like this are an example of how North Korea is peddling missile technology."

This is not the first time the Changgwang Sinyong Corp. has been the subject of U.S. sanctions.

Soviet update

During the Clinton Administration, the company was targeted for violating non-proliferation agreements governing the spread of missile technology after providing engine technology and components for its Nodong missiles to Iran.

The Nodong missile is an updated version of the Soviet-era Scud used by Iraq during the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

With a range of about 1,300 kilometers (800 miles), the weapon would be capable of striking targets in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and parts of Russia if launched from Iran.

The administration official conceded the Scuds -- knockoffs of old Soviet missiles involved in this case -- "are not in the same league" as more sophisticated missile technology that Washington has complained to North Korea and China for selling in the past.