KSOC President Lee Kee-heung is seeking to become a member of the International Olympic Committee ©Getty Images

Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) President Lee Kee-heung is seeking to become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), according to reports in his native country.

South Korean news agency Yonhap has reported Lee, elected to lead the newly-established KSOC last October, has submitted his candidacy to the IOC Members Election Commission headed by Britain's Princess Royal. 

Lee was faced allegations of bribery, embezzlement and fraud in national team member selection during his six-year tenure as President of the Korean Swimming Federation.

He announced his resignation from the role last year and was not expected to stand for any other sporting positions.

Lee was then unexpectedly elected as KSOC President following a merger between the Korean Olympic Committee and the Korean Council of Sport for All.

Lee's elevation to head of the KSOC as paved the way for him to stand to become a member of the IOC, with elections due to be held at the Session in Lima in September.

The IOC's ruling Executive Board are due to finalise the list of candidates at their meeting on July 9 and 10, staged prior to the Extraordinary Session on July 11 and 12.

The KSOC President is hoping to join Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min.

Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min was elected a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission at Rio 2016, making him South Korea's second member but Lee Kun-hee is inactive due to illness ©Getty Images
Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ryu Seung-min was elected a member of the IOC Athletes' Commission at Rio 2016, making him South Korea's second member but Lee Kun-hee is inactive due to illness ©Getty Images

Ryu was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission last year.

He became the second IOC member from South Korea. 

Lee Kun-hee, the chairman of electronics giants Samsung, remains an IOC member but has been hospitalised since suffering a heart attack in 2014.

The 75-year-old billionaire has, therefore, not been active and South Korea are hoping to increase their representation in sport's most exclusive club, particularly prior to next year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.

Lee was elected as an IOC member in 1996 but voluntarily suspended his membership in 2008 after he was convicted of embezzlement and tax evasion.

A year later he was given a special pardon by South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak so that he could retain his IOC membership and lead the Pyeongchang 2018 bid. 

A total of eight officials were elected as IOC members at the Session before last year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

They were Nita Ambani of India, Finland's Sari Essayah, Italy's Ivo Ferriani, Luis Moreno of Colombia, Papua New Guinea's Auvita Rapilla, South African Anant Singh, Canada's Tricia Smith and Karl Stoss of Austria.