A British daily says that if South Korea succeeds in getting the Group of 20 summit to tackle development issues in a serious way, the summit could go a long way in raising the nation’s status and creating a lasting global impact.

The Guardian said Monday that Korea's push to make development issues a central part of the G20 discussions marks an important step in the evolution of the G20.

The report said the G20’s origins in the financial crisis mean that until now, meetings have focused almost exclusively on finance ministry type issues and coordinating responses to the crisis.

The Guardian noted that South Korea is only the fourth country to host a G20 summit and the first outside the north Atlantic, Anglo-Saxon club, and that Korea is also unique in having recently and quickly made the transition into a developed country.

The report added that if it successfully deals with development issues, the summit could have more of a lasting impact than the 1988 Olympics in Seoul in terms of raising Korea’s status.