Korean television broadcaster KBS has issued an apology after it damaged a UNESCO Heritage site on the site of the drama The First Night with the Duke.

Staff members were spotted nailing wooden pillars at the Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy, an attraction in Andong, South Korea while installing props for a drama shoot.

The site, which includes a number of traditional buildings that served as an educational institution during Korea's Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), is home to over 1,000 documents and over 3,000 books. Byeongsanseowon Confucian Academy was designed as a World Heritage site in 2010 by UNESCO and was the 260th destination to be named.

The local government launched an investigation after witness reports on Thursday to properly assess the damage made.

Post-inspection, government officials confirmed that the nails were for lantern installations for the set.

"We had not authorized any installations prior to greenlighting the filming," said an Andong spokesperson.

"We explicitly stated that any actions that could harm the cultural property are prohibited."

Network KBS issued an apology statement

"Regardless of the circumstances, we recognize the seriousness of the issue and apologize for our actions," KBS said to the press, according to Sports Chosun.

"We are looking into the situation and are discussing potential restoration measures with officials. We will continue to discuss steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and to identify the best ways to address any additional damage that may arise."