North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have put his younger sister Kim Yo-jong in charge of the pariah nation’s powerful state security apparatus, it has emerged.

Citing anonymous sources, South Korean paper, Chosun Ibo, speculated that her role may have been indicated in December by her seating position at the ruling Worker’s Party congress, where she was spotted next to her brother’s right-hand man, Choe Ryong-hae.

In a country where optics are all-important, rankings are often signified by the proximity to Kim Jong-un at public events. “Judging by her seat, there is a possibility that she has been promoted,” said a South Korean government source.

The position would put her in charge of the State Security Department, overseeing police and prosecution, reported the paper.

The role was once held by Jang Song-taek, Mr Kim’s once powerful uncle, who he had executed in 2013. The department was put under party control after his death but has since been “revived and established as an independent entity,” said a source.