U.S. targets North Korea's Namchongang Trading Corp

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday took to steps to freeze any U.S. assets held by North Korea's Namchongang Trading Corp. and to bar it from any dealings with U.S. companies or individuals.

In a brief statement, the department described Namchongang as a Pyongyang-based "nuclear-related company" and said it has been involved in the purchase of aluminum tubes and other equipment "specifically suitable for a uranium enrichment program since the late 1990s."

(Editing by Sandra Maler)