SIKS (Strategic Initiatives for Korean Studies) in The Academy of Korean Studies in Korea awarded the joint project of the Institute of East Asian Studies (IN-EAST) of the University Duisburg-Essen, Germany, and Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSS) Korea with a grant for the publication of a series of books on modern Korean economy from 2008-2010. The project consists of a publication of two conferences which will be held in 2008 in Washington D.C. and 2009 in Vienna, respectively, and two monographs. The “IN-EAST/Hanns Seidel Series on Modern Korean economy” will contribute to a better understanding of modern Korean economy and help raising the interest for the Korean peninsula.