Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum is joining forces with Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in a five year deal to create a first in Canada.

The agreement will provide one million dollars in funding to support a Curator of Korean Art and Culture as well as funds for new research and public programming.

The ROM is already home to one of the largest collections of Korean art and culture in North America and Europe and has a long history of raising awareness and encouraging an appreciation for Korean heritage.

The agreement is also timely with the 60th anniversary of Korea-Canadian diplomatic relations approaching.

Once created, the Curator will be responsible for implementing strategies to grow, manage and interpret the Museum’s already sizable collection of Korean art.