TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National flag-raising day was Sunday (Jan. 1), but staff at a district office in Taipei's Beitou hung a Taiwan flag upside down.

Hanging a flag upside down is considered unpatriotic, disrespectful, a sign of distress, or of protest and dissent. In some countries, it is an SOS signal.

According to Legislator Ho Chih-wei (何志偉), who posted about the incident on Facebook, hanging a flag upside down in Taiwan means surrendering to the enemy, or a disaster has befallen the country.

However, not on this occasion, the cause was more mundane. Taipei City’s Beitou District Office administrators said the mistake was due to night staff making a mistake when raising the flag at 8 a.m.

Officials said the staff member concerned had been disciplined. In addition, flag-raising would be reviewed and a better system put in place.

The Criminal Law of the Republic of China (中華民國刑法規定) says that anyone damaging, removing, or insulting the national flag may be imprisoned for a year, or given a maximum fine of NT$9,000 (US$300).

Ho said in his Facebook post: "On the first day of work in 2023, the flag hangs upside down. How loose is the screw? I predict the new Taipei City Government will say that management will be strengthened in the future, but it definitely will not be the last time."

Flag-raising day is held every year to mark the founding of the Republic of China, which was established in 1912.