North Koreans walk off after South Korea flag displayed at women's soccer match

Wow. What idiot made that mistake? I don't blame NK for being ticked out.

Off, ticked off.

This is a major mistake, and no one should be put through such stress before a match, especially if you think about the beating and the arrests to follow had N. Korea lost the game.They have every right of being upset about it. There is more at stake than just a good score.

The Olympic spirit is best expressed in the Olympic Creed:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Don't these organizers do any basic research? The match would never have started if the Japanese flag was displayed instead!

When I saw the headline I imagined how pissed a Scottish team would be if either the union flag or St. George's cross were mistakenly raised for them. Seeing it happened in Scotland, was a bit of a surprise. Rather big, as offensive screw ups go.

Not saying much for the education system up there in Scotland is it! Presumably they did have some practice tests before the game - and no-one noticed the wrong flags? I don't support that awful Kim Monarchy and the fat aristocrats in the joint - but sure don't blame the Korean ladies for storming off.

Hate NK all you want, this was a MAJOR error and with the history between the two Koreas a very insulting one as well.

Probably nothing to do with the Scots, and more to do with some idiot from Locog, the British Olympic organisers. How embarrassing!

Hate NK all you want, this was a MAJOR error and with the history between the two Koreas a very insulting one as well.

Maybe they just wanted to piss off NK.

I do not understand how a mistake of this magnitude could evr take place! Whew!

They could avoid these problems by calling the countries by the names everyone else knows them by: Good Korea, and Bad Korea.

But yes, a blunder, and a disservice to the players.

Quite embarrassing. In the NK mind, Scotland probably won't get the blame, but Britain surely will.

HOWLARIOUS!!!

feel sorry for the NK team. this musn't have happened especially displaying a SK flag. i suspect it was occured in purpose.

What do you do when the world comes to your doorstep (invited) and you don't know much about them.

..cuts to education, bbc world services, etc

....forgetting one of the major wars in recent decades, even in recent times: "axis of evil" ah that must be a rock band right?

There are other stores of very large welcome signs in some languages being complete jibberish...probably thought oh you just use google translate right? amateurs.

Given the lack of knowledge of the outside world in North Korea, I'm surprised the players even recognised the South Korean flag. Maybe they didn't.

One can sympathise with the North Koreans.

lubracasi: "Given the lack of knowledge of the outside world in North Korea, I'm surprised the players even recognised the South Korean flag. Maybe they didn't."

Dude, they would DEFINITELY know the SK flag. It is used for propaganda all the time in NK. OTHER countries flags? who knows, but they definitely are taught about their 'enemy' in the south. This was an unforgivable mistake, and one likely not to be repeated, but I guess what's done is done.

You missed out the punchline. Let me guess - you are in fact not from the USA?

Does that really happen to you? In 5 years of being here not one person has said that they assumed I (white British guy) am from the USA. Many Japanese people ask me if I'm Australian at ski resorts but given that most of the foreigners there are its understandable.

Brother Dave, and his trousers,

With a handle like BertieWooster, one hardly needs to overstate one's nationality, does one?

North Korea must be very pissed off, modern Britain is showing how crap it has become.

In 5 years of being here not one person has said that they assumed I (white British guy) am from the USA.

I'm a white British (English) guy (or bloke, as we say back home), too. I'm often mistaken for a German. I suppose it's due to my balding head, glasses and generally dour, over-serious attitude to life.

A flying start to the Olympics. Wonder how Scottish players would feel if the flag of St. George was displayed in one of their World Cup qualifiers? A ridiculous, offensive mistake.

I don't blame them (North Korea). South Korea would have done the same if it happened to them.

Someone needs to get a sense of proportion. Sure, it was an embarrassing mistake. But walking off? Get a grip. They should have forfeited the match for that stunt.

Not saying much for the education system up there in Scotland is it!

@BurakuminDes hey thanks for the insult. Don't tar us all with the same brush.

Hi, just to to clarify, for the people that have made rather ill informed, or cruel remarks towards Scotland and its education system, BurakuminDes-Taj-Jimizo......the media, that was shown on the large screen, was prepared, and checked, and passed as fit to be used, by the Olympic football tournament organisers, in LONDON. Yes it was a mistake, interesting you assumed you screen footage for the match was arranged in Scotland, giving its the LONDON olympics...."Scotland, thanks for helping us hold the biggest event we have ever held, you can put whatever you want on your big screen, lots of love, London!:)"..yeah, right.

Thanks for the update, Iain.

How unprofessional and insulting to any country. Could you imagine what the Canadians would have done if they'd shown the Stars and Stripes?! They'd have probably apologized first and then walked off.