NORTH Korea has mX in its sights after the paper's medal tally cheekily referred to the regime as "Naughty Korea" and its democratic cousin south of the DMZ as "Nice Korea".

In a move labelled "unusual" by The Wall Street Journal's man in Seoul, Alastair Gale, the nuclear-armed regime fired a missive overnight from Pyongyang at mX via its official mouthpiece, the Korean Central News Agency.

Fortunately for mX, which has editions in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the regime believes the paper is called Brisbane Metro.

The missive includes bizarre lines like: "[the paper] behaved so sordid" in "this bullying act", which was "foolish, degrading".

Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane commuters can pick up a free copy today of your city's "naughty" mX, chastised by North Korea, to read the full story.

Scroll down to read the KCNA story in full.

Here is a statement from editors Claire Sutherland (Melbourne mX), Craig Herbert (Sydney mX) and Emma Chalmers (Brisbane mX):

"mX is widely known for its irreverent take on the news and the London 2012 Olympics are being approached with that perspective in mind.

"The two teams (South Korea and North Korea) were sitting in fourth and fifth spot respectively on the medal ladder and we thought it would be a humorous, but harmless way of differentiating between the two, and a reflection on how much of the western world views the two countries.

media_camera North korea angry at mX

"It was in no way intended to offend the athletes or citizens of either South Korea or North Korea.

"North Korea's political leadership is no stranger to global critcism and it would be difficult for anyone to fail to see the comment was aimed directly at that record.

media_camera North Korea reacts to mX coverage

"The mX tally received an enormous response online throughout the world and the overwhelming majority of readers and the social and print media community saw it for what was intended - nothing more than a bit of light-heartedness."

KCNA story:

The Australian newspaper Brisbane Metro behaved so sordid as to describe the DPRK as "Naughty Korea" when carrying the news of London Olympics standings. This is a bullying act little short of insulting the Olympic spirit of solidarity, friendship and progress and politicizing sports. Media are obliged to lead the public in today's highly-civilized world where mental and cultural level of mankind is being displayed at the highest level. Brisbane Metro deserves criticism for what it has done. The paper behaved so foolish as to use the London Olympics that has caught the world interest for degrading itself. The paper hardly known in the world must have thought of making its existence known to the world by joining other media in reporting the Olympic news. Then it should have presented its right appearance to the world. Editors of the paper were so incompetent as to tarnish the reputation of the paper by themselves by producing the article like that. There is a saying "A straw may show which way the wind blows". A single article may exhibit the level of the paper. Many people were unanimous in denouncing the small paper for defaming the mental and moral aspects of the players of the DPRK who earned recognition from several appreciative world famous media. Even hostile forces toward the DPRK heaped praises on its players' successful performance at the London Olympics, saying that "Korea whirlwind" sweeps the world. The Australian paper cooked up the way of moneymaking, challenging the authority of the dignified sovereign state. The paper deserves a trifle sum of dirty money. As already known, it was reported that a lot of petty thieves sneaked into the London Olympics together with tourists. Players fight to the finish in the stadium, but those petty thieves demonstrate their "skills" outside the stadium. The paper Brisbane Metro is little different from those petty thieves. In a word, the paper discredited itself. How pitiful it is. The Brisbane Metro will remain as a symbol of rogue paper for its misdeed to be cursed long in Olympic history. The infamy is the self-product of the naughty paper Brisbane Metro which dared challenge the spirit of Olympic, common desire and unanimous will of mankind.

media_camera North Korea reacts to mX coverage

Originally published as N Korea goes ballistic over 'naughty' joke