by Kang Hyun-kyung 

Indian Ambassador to Korea Vishnu Prakash made a pitch for his country to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

“We firmly believe that we, India, have all the credentials for becoming a governing member of the UNSC,” the envoy said in a speech at an event to celebrate India’s National Day at the Hilton Hotel in Seoul, Thursday.
Prakash cited a Korea-India joint statement, released after President Park Geun-hye’s summit with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Jan. 16, to support his call.
In the statement, Park and Singh agreed on the need for comprehensive reform of the U.N., including expansion of the Security Council, to make the organization more representative, accountable and effective. They agreed that reform of the UNSC should reflect contemporary realities and include major developing countries.

Ambassador Prakash’s quoting of the statement during the National Day speech was construed as meaning that India is one of the major developing countries that qualifies for UNSC permanent membership.

Earlier, Park made it clear that South Korea doesn’t support the expansion of the UNSC. 
In an interview with the Indian media, Park explained that the expansion of non-permanent UNSC membership countries would be helpful to cope effectively with the ever-changing international environment. 
Some analysts here speculated Park was mindful of Japan when she stated her opposition to the expansion of the UNSC’s permanent membership.