South Korea has selected “Sea Fog” (aka ‘Haemoo’) as its contender for the foreign-language Academy Awards race, Variety said.

The film, directed by Shim Sung-bo, is a largely sea-borne tale of human desperation both on the part of economic refugees and the fishermen turned human smugglers who transport them across unsafe waters.

The selection is made by a specially convened committee organized by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

Production was by Lewis Kim with leading director Bong Joon-ho (“Snowpiercer”) as executive producer. International sales are by Finecut.

South Korea has had a huge impact on film-making in Asia in the past two decades, but no Korean film has ever been selected as an Oscar nominee.