How Trump's re-election revived a decade-old movement

From a relatively minor phenomenon in South Korea, the 4B movement has now reached the level of international discussion. As a response to the traditional social norm whereby women are supposed to base their lives on heterosexuality, marriage, and motherhood, the movement is named after four Korean words that start with “bi,” which means no or refusal. Thus, the movement is based on the refusal to marry a man, have a child, date men, and engage in heterosexual sexual relations.

It appeared in South Korea in the mid-to-late 2010s, which can be described as a period of rising influence of online activism. It was linked to the growing anger over misogynistic, sexist and abusive attitudes towards women, including workplace discrimination, online harassment, and violence against women. It appeared as part of the growing discontent among the South Korean feminist movement, as expressed by other initiatives such as Escape the Corset.

The four principles are very simple to understand. "Bihon" implies the rejection of heterosexual marriage, "bichulsan" implies the rejection of childbirth, "biyeonae" implies the rejection of heterosexual dating, and "bisekseu" implies the rejection of heterosexual sex. These practices of followers are not about hate towards all men; rather, these are about the rejection of the social pressure for women to be wives and mothers.

It is crucial to consider the context. Gender inequality and violence against women have become hot topics of debate in South Korea. The case of the murder of a young woman near Gangnam Station in South Korea in 2016 was the defining point of the country's feminist movement when it came to discussing the question of the existence of such a social problem as violence against women.

In addition, digital sexual crimes are yet another reason why there has been an ongoing debate on the subject. Cases of sexual crimes like hidden camera filming and distribution of nude photos or videos without consent raised fears among South Korean women. Such experiences led to an increasingly important question: if having a relationship or adhering to certain gender roles puts women in an unfair position or endangers them, shouldn’t they be involved in such activities?

Another factor to take into account regarding the topic at hand is South Korea’s demographic situation. It has one of the lowest fertility rates globally, which is why governments implemented various policies aimed at encouraging marriage and childbirth. However, it would be incorrect to suggest that the 4B movement is causing the demographic crisis in South Korea. It has a lot of reasons for its low birth rate: cost of living, work-life balance, cost of raising children, and changes in attitudes towards marriage and family life. The 4B movement is merely a reflection of these changes.

However, for many years, 4B has remained a niche campaign. The international recognition of the group occurred after the 2024 US presidential election, when conversations around reproductive rights and women’s rights gained prominence on American social media platforms. Videos and other content related to 4B have spread like wildfire among American women, who claimed that they would consider adopting some aspects of the movement in their lives. Searches for 4B also spiked.

Nevertheless, the conversation in America is not the same as the Korean movement. 4B has become most prominent in the US in direct reaction to a political event. The refusal of relations or bearing children became a way for some women to express their concerns about abortion rights and the political situation in the country. Nevertheless, in South Korea, the campaign developed over the years against a very specific background of gender conflicts and feminism.

The difference is important in the sense that social media platforms tend to exaggerate both the size and organisation of any protest movement. 4B has never organised itself as a political party, and it does not keep a list of members. Most of its operations are carried out online, which makes it quite hard to determine its exact size. This means that researchers and journalists warn against relying on viral posts as evidence of millions of women becoming part of the movement.

There has been criticism of the movement as well, including concerns that some strands of radical feminism in South Korea have alienated the transgender community or propagated rigid conceptions of gender. There is also the issue of whether withdrawal from relations can lead to structural change in society. Personal withdrawal from marrying and having children may afford a person certain freedom, but this does not necessarily mean that workplaces and laws will change as a result.

But its supporters present it from another angle. They claim that personal choices can take a political dimension when a lot of people make them in reaction to similar social circumstances. Thus, one can perceive refusal of marriage, motherhood or relations as a form of critique of those systems which have excessive requirements for women.

Finally, the 4B movement is not limited to four personal refusals, but stands for a bigger discussion of issues such as autonomy, relations, gender norms and protests. The rapid development of the idea from South Korean web communities to American ones proves how fast some thoughts can travel in the era of the Internet.

It is unclear whether 4B will develop into an international movement or stay just an online community. What is obvious, however, is that this movement has started a controversial discussion about whether participation in traditional institutions that are considered unfair or restraining may turn into a kind of protest.

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