Five South Koreans have been invited to become voting members for the U.S. Academy Awards, marking a first for actors and filmmakers in the country to become a part of the Los Angeles-based organization, a local movie market tracker said Saturday.

    Directors Im Kwon-taek and Bong Joon-ho, actors Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho, and Disney animation specialist Kim Sang-jin were among the 322 people worldwide to have received invitations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

    "AMPAS has sent email invitations to five people, including director Im Kwon-taek," said Hwang Soo-jin, head of KOFIC's Los Angeles office, adding they will become official members once they accept.

    The latest AMPAS invitations mark the first time that members of the South Korean film industry have been included as voters for nominees and winners of the Academy Awards, now formally known as the Oscars.

    Director Im is a veteran film director, who has been around the South Korean movie-making scene since his debut in 1962. Actor Song and director Bong have received global recognition for the movie

 "Snowpiercer," while Choi is well-known for his lead role in "Old Boy." Animator Kim, also known as Jin Kim in the U.S., is a character designer at Walt Disney Animation Studios. (Yonhap)