The director of a South Korean documentary film that has earned an Academy Award nomination says he is glad he can let the world know about the subject of the film, the Sewol ferry disaster. 

In an interview with Yonhap News on Tuesday, Yi Seung-jun shared his thoughts after his latest work, "In the Absence,” became the country’s first-ever documentary nominee for the Oscars.  

The 49-year-old director says the Academy Award nomination is all the more meaningful as representatives of the bereaved families took part in and helped the production. 

He said that the bereaved families asked him to make it so that many people around the world see the film, and that the Academy Award nomination would allow him to do just that.

The 29-minute documentary chronicles the events of the 2014 tragedy with clips and phone calls. Over 300 people, mostly high school students, lost their lives when the ferry sank.

"In the Absence" will compete against four American films in the category at the annual Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on February ninth.