Ryu Jae-hyung, the ministry's internal auditor, said former officials in charge of salvaging the Sewol did not accept the advice from six law firms or the Ministry of Government Legislation and arbitrarily shortened the panel's activity period.

Under the Park Geun-hye administration, the salvage team also made a report in late 2015 on how to make the fact-finding body's activities fizzle out in an attempt to conceal the government's mishandling of the initial rescue operations, Ryu said.

The ministry said it will request the prosecution look into the related allegations and noted that around 10 ministry officials will be subject to investigation.

In response to the panel's probe result, which failed to meet public expectations, the National Assembly passed a special law last month to launch a new committee with greater authority to re-investigate the disaster.

"Due to limitations in the internal audit, the second special investigative committee will look into other allegations related to the Sewol salvage operation," Ryu said in a briefing. "We will actively cooperate if (the committee) launches an investigation."

The wreck was raised from the bottom of the sea in June and put into dry dock at a local port in Mokpo, 410 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)