Show Notes

Summary

YoungMin joins Groong to discuss his visit to Artsakh after the 2023 ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population. The conversation focuses on why he chose to go, the permit and tour system that now governs access, the controlled and selective nature of what foreign visitors are allowed to see, and the emotional impact of witnessing emptied towns, redevelopment, and cultural erasure. YoungMin also reflects on how his own Korean background shaped his response to Artsakh, and offers closing thoughts on memory, recovery, and Armenia’s future.

Main Topics Addressed

Why YoungMin chose to visit Artsakh, and how his broader interest in hard-to-reach places and conflict zones led him there
The practical difficulties of entering the region, including the failed permit process and the need to join a last-minute Azerbaijani group tour
His impressions of Baku, including major tourist scams that shaped his view of the country
The long road journey from Baku through checkpoints, Agdam, Askeran, and into Stepanakert
The scale of redevelopment and “smart city” construction in and around Agdam
The permit system, landmine restrictions, and how movement is tightly managed by region
The contrast between the other tourists’ curiosity and YoungMin’s sense of grief and moral weight
Stepanakert as a largely empty city, with many buildings still uninhabited and a strong sense of silence and loss
How the tour route appeared designed to avoid Armenian religious and cultural landmarks
The remodeling or destruction of Armenian-linked sites, including the university area and the degraded state of the We Are Our Mountains monument
The heavy bias of the tour and the sense that visitors were being steered away from the Armenian history of the region
The state-led “Great Return” program, who appears to be moving in, and why the region still felt like a ghost town
Comparisons with Mosul and other conflict zones YoungMin has visited
YoungMin’s reflections as a Korean traveler carrying his own people’s history of division, trauma, and loss
His closing message about remembering the past while building a stronger future

Key Questions Discussed

What drew YoungMin to Artsakh, and why did he feel it was important to go?
How difficult was it to obtain access, and what does that say about the current system of control?
What was the route into Artsakh like, and how present were checkpoints, permits, and landmine restrictions?
What did he actually see in Agdam, Askeran, and Stepanakert?
How much freedom did he have to move around, speak to locals, or choose what to visit?
Which Armenian landmarks or sites seemed intentionally avoided or obscured?
At what point did the trip stop feeling like extreme travel and start feeling like entry into the aftermath of ethnic cleansing?
What did the condition of Stepanakert suggest about repopulation, redevelopment, and the so-called Great Return?
How did his own Korean background shape the way he understood Armenian loss and displacement?
What hope, if any, does he see for Armenia after such a traumatic rupture?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Visiting Artsakh in 2026: The Country That Vanished Overnight — YoungMin Skies
YoungMin Skies YouTube Channel

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

That’s our Week in Review, we hope you found it helpful. We invite your feedback and your suggestions, you can find us on most social media and podcast platforms.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

YoungMin - Travel Blogger’s Visit to Artsakh, Post September 2023 | Ep 526, Mar 22, 2026 [EP526]

Groong Links:

Guest:

Topics:

Show Notes

Summary

Main Topics Addressed

Key Questions Discussed

Referenced Articles & Sources

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

Guests

YoungMin

Hosts

Asbed Bedrossian

Hovik Manucharyan