UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is expected to request a joint inspection of a large-scale high-rise apartment complex built nearby the Joseon-era royal tomb of Jangneung in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.

The Committee on Monday revealed a draft of a decision set to be deliberated on during a session this month in Saudi Arabia, regarding the tomb of the parents of King Injo, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

In the draft, it expressed concern that "pungsu" or Korean feng shui behind the site's outstanding universal value(OUV) may be adversely affected by the apartment construction, which blocks a view of Mount Gyeyang from the tomb.

Referring to an inspection carried out this March by representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites(ICOMOS), the Committee has requested full enforcement of their recommendations and for Seoul to invite a joint inspection team for monitoring.

It also asked Seoul to submit an updated report by February 1, 2024 on implementation of the recommended measures and the state of conservation.

An administrative suit is under way as the Cultural Heritage Administration(CHA) accuses builders at the nearby Incheon's Geomdan new town of constructing 19 apartment buildings within a conservation area without its permission.

The builders, for their part, have argued that they had obtained approval from Gimpo City in 2014 when purchasing the land and that the ground broke after the Incheon Seo District office's review in 2019.