The special counsel team investigating former first lady Kim Keon-hee has reportedly obtained text messages suggesting the Unification Church supported the election of then-ruling People Power Party Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon as party leader in 2023.

According to sources in the judicial community on Tuesday, the messages were exchanged in February 2023 between Yun Young-ho, the church’s former second-in-command, and Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman with close ties to the former first lady. 

In the messages about the upcoming party convention, Jeon said he was told to finalize the list of candidates to be elected, with Kim Gi-hyeon as party leader, and Park Sung-joong, Cho Su-jin and Jang Ye-chan as Supreme Council members, to which Yun agreed to give related instructions.

Kim Gi-hyeon, Cho and Jang then went on to be elected to those posts.

Investigators suspect the former first lady was behind the alleged meddling.

They also suspect Yun initially attempted to intervene to ensure the election of Rep. Kweon Seong-dong as party leader, but changed course to favor Kim Gi-hyeon after Kweon announced he would not seek the party leadership.

With the former first lady scheduled to appear for what will likely be her final interrogation on Thursday, the team is expected to indict her as early as Friday, before her detention period ends Sunday.