N. Korea dismantles controversial long-range rocket

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Google via Yonhap / EPAA satellite image showing North Korea's Dongchang-ri missile launch site, located in the North Pyongan Province, bordering China, Dec. 2.By ReutersSEOUL - North Korea has started to dismantle a controversial long-range rocket on its launch pad in an apparent move to fix a technical problem but still looks likely to go ahead with the launch, South Korean news reports and experts said Tuesday.

North Korea says the launch is to put a weather satellite in orbit, but critics say it is aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile.

When the first reports emerged that the rocket parts were being taken down, there was speculation the North might abandon the launch altogether.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld  But experts said the construction of the rocket meant that it needed to be removed from its gantry.

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