public awareness about Azerbaijan in Korea/ Photo Courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
February 26 marks the 33rd anniversary of the genocide committed by Armenian armed forces in Khojaly during Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, which resulted in the occupation of one-fifth of Azerbaijani territories and the ethnic cleansing of over one million Azerbaijanis.
Before the genocide, 7,000 people lived in the city of Khojaly, located in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. On the night of February 25 to 26, 1992, following a massive artillery bombardment, Armenian forces, supported by the infantry regiment No. 366 of the former USSR, seized Khojaly. Invaders destroyed the city and committed brutal massacres against its civilian population.
As a result of the Khojaly genocide, 5,379 inhabitants were forcefully expelled, and 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly, were brutally murdered. Eight families were completely destroyed, 487 individuals were injured, and 1,275 were captured and taken hostage (the fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, remains unknown).
The former President of Armenia, Serzh Sarkisyan, who was involved in the Khojaly massacre as a warlord leading illegal Armenian combatants in Garabagh, admitted in an interview with British journalist and researcher Thomas de Waal that the massacre was a deliberate and planned action against Azerbaijani people. According to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948, the massacre in Khojaly is classified as genocide since the residents were systematically and deliberately murdered as a national, ethnic, or religious group.
The national legislative bodies of 16 countries, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, have adopted resolutions and declarations condemning the massacre of civilians in Khojaly and recognizing the tragedy as an act of genocide and a crime against humanity.
On the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan organized the 2nd symposium, hosted at the Yongsan Art Hall on February 26, 2025. The event was co-organized by the Korea-Azerbaijan Association of Daegu-Gyeongbuk and EdunietyLab of Korea. This high-level event was attended by numerous ambassadors and representatives of embassies, scholars from Korean universities, journalists, as well as various participants in cultural, academic, scientific, and humanitarian relations between Azerbaijan and Korea.
Ramin Hasanov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized in his welcoming speech that the commemoration of the innocent victims of the Khojaly genocide serves as an action of solidarity with hundreds of people who suffer from serious injuries or the mental trauma of losing loved ones in Khojaly. Additionally, it is an appeal to humanity to never allow such events to happen again.
He pointed out that several suspects of the Khojaly genocide are currently in custody and facing trial, and he referred to Azerbaijan’s glorious victory during the Patriotic War in 2020, which restored its sovereignty over territories formerly occupied by Armenia. The ambassador urged the international community to unite in favor of legally convicting all war criminals.
The event continued with panel discussions, moderated by Korean journalist and publisher of The Korea Global Times, Cho Joy, during which speakers condemned the brutal crime against Azerbaijani people in Khojaly and expressed their deep regret for the large number of innocent victims.
The youngest panelist, Lim Myeong-Mook, a master's student from Seoul National University who has written commentaries about political affairs in the South Caucasus, referred to his memories of the Khojaly genocide commemoration during his study visit to Azerbaijan last year.
The panelists discussed possible contributions to restoring peaceful coexistence and cooperation among the nations of the South Caucasus region, highlighting the potential for the Republic of Korea’s engagement with regional countries. Some stressed the significance of promoting Azerbaijan’s presence in Korea to foster bilateral relations.
Professor Oh Chong-Jin, Head of the Department of Turkish-Azerbaijani Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, evaluated the level of public interest in Azerbaijan in Korea, particularly among young Koreans, and highlighted his department’s engagement in raising public awareness about Azerbaijan.
Dr. Oh Young-Sub, Assistant Professor of the Department of Multicultural Education at Inha University, emphasized Azerbaijan's rich traditions of multiculturalism and shared observations on how Azerbaijani students' multicultural competences contribute to their educational achievements.
Korean novelist Yoo Sujin, a recipient of numerous awards, including the Newcomer Excellence Award in poetry, the 10th Jeju 4•3 Peace Literature Award, and the New Year Literary Contest, discussed her inspiration from Azerbaijani literature, which led her to translate Azerbaijani tales into Korean.
EdunietyLab CEO Lee Keeteack and Head of the Research Institute Dr. Lim Sung Hee talked about the projects their institution implemented in educational domain in Azerbaijan and announced their interest for further cooperation.
