Arsene Mekinian

Korean Blogger Shows #Artsakh Under Azerbaijani Occupation: Empty Cities, Tourist Restrictions, and Erasure of Centuries-Old Armenian Identity A South Korean travel blogger has published a rare video of his recent trip to Artsakh, providing one of the few internal perspectives on the region following its transition to #Azerbaijani control and the ethnic cleansing of the #Armenian population in 2023. Traveling through Shushi, Askeran, and Stepanakert, YoungMin Skies captured empty streets, destroyed sites, and what he described as a systemic attempt to erase #Armenian traces and redefine the identity of the occupied region. The trip to #Artsakh took place as part of an organized group; according to the blogger, obtaining individual permission proved virtually impossible. Tourists were not allowed to leave the minibus, and access to sites was strictly controlled, effectively shaping the narrative presented to them. The blogger also drew personal parallels between his family's history in North Korea and the Armenians deprived of access to their ancestral lands, noting a similar experience of loss and forced displacement from one's homeland. According to him, traveling through the practically deserted territory left an oppressive impression. Upon entering Stepanakert, the former capital, his initial emotions were: "Tragedy, sadness. Everywhere you look, there are empty houses." The blogger emphasized the scale of desolation and destruction in the city. Many Armenian sites have been destroyed, rebuilt, or repurposed. However, the iconic "We Are Our Mountains" monument, also known as "Tatik-Papik," remains untouched. In his view, this is a political decision: despite attempts to erase #Armenian heritage, the monument has been left as a controlled symbol, demonstrating that the authorities decide which elements of the past to preserve.