The Prime Minister's Secretariat has launched an inspection after receiving a tip about alleged irregularities surrounding the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee.

According to an unnamed government official on Wednesday, the office of the Director General for Civil Service Discipline and Investigation sent five inspectors to the committee's main office in southeastern Seoul the previous day for a field inspection.

Depending on the outcome of the inspection, which is scheduled to continue through October 18, the office could ask state investigative agencies to look into the allegations.

Earlier, the sports ministry filed for an audit by the Board of Audit and Inspection, alleging unfair business practices and lax budget spending by the committee.

In May, the ministry asked the prosecution to investigate allegations of collusion between a high-ranking official at the committee and a representative of a company that was outsourced to manage the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province.