Update: According to Yonhap, the range of the SRBM tested in 27 June was ~100 km, which fits the description of a KN-02, but could be a different missile as well.

Original post: USFK Commander Gen. BB Bell has made headlines over his comments about North Korea’s 27 June short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) test:

North Korea’s recent tests of short-range missiles were successful launches of an advanced weapon that can be fired at little notice to strike targets in South Korea, the commander of U.S. Forces in South Korea said on Monday.

[. . .]

“These (missiles) are modern, solid-fuel, which means that they are easy to handle and rapidly capable of being fired,” U.S. General B.B. Bell said at a seminar in Seoul. “These were not failure missile tests. These were successful tests.”

These SRBM tests should not be confused with the longer range Taep’o-dong variants (version 1 is an IRBM while version 2 is an ICBM).

Bell’s comments, while truthful, seem a bit alarmist since North Korea is already known to have solid fuel SRMB; the KN-02, an upgraded version of the Soviet SS-21. Perhaps some advancements in range or accuracy have been made, but that hasn’t been made clear in reporting.