Propaganda officials of North Korea’s Workers’ Party have apparently been forcing people to pay cash at public meetings in cities and provinces in order to build a “powerful and prosperous nation” by next year.

According to a source, North Korea has been making its people compete in the payments by spreading propaganda that compares the amounts of cash paid by citizens from different regions.

In addition, a source said the state-run Rodong Sinmun is encouraging North Koreans to make sacrifices in order to build a powerful and prosperous nation. In its August 20th issue, there was a piece in the daily saying that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il ordered North Koreans to take after the heroic actions of a cattle herder who died after saving cattle during the eighth typhoon of the year this past July.

North Korea estimated a fund shortage for the political events planned to mark its ascension to a “powerful and prosperous nation” on the occasion of the centennial of former North Korean leader Kim Il-sung next year. It is therefore known to be preparing a campaign to get North Koreans to do their best to help raise funds.