The origins of the 4B Movement: a cry against injustice
South Korea has the widest gender pay gap among OECD countries, with an average difference of 29 %. Women also take responsibility 3.5 times more household chores than their male counterparts. Added to this are scandals linked to cybercrimes, such as clandestine videos filmed in public places or pornographic content created with artificial intelligence.
Faced with these realities, the 4B Movement emerged as a rejection of patriarchal structures. Its foundations are based on four Korean words beginning with “bi” (meaning “no”):
Bisex : No sexual relations.
Biyeonae : No appointment.
Bihon : No marriage.
Bichulsan : No childbirth.
For activists like Baek Ga-eul, this movement is much more than a boycott of men. It represents a way for women to regain control of their lives and no longer define themselves in relation to imposed social standards.
Why is the 4B Movement attractive abroad?
The movement has recently gained international visibility, particularly in UNITED STATESwhere the election of Donald Trump served as a catalyst. Perceived as an attack against women's rightshis rise to power pushed some American women to adopt the principles of the 4B Movement to express their frustration with persistent sexism.
On TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), viral videos use hashtags linked to 4B to denounce patriarchal injustices. Some women go so far as to shave their heads to reject beauty standards or encourage others to take steps to protect their reproductive autonomy.
A mixed reception in South Korea
Paradoxically, the movement remains controversial in its country of origin. In Korea, the word “feminism” is often seen as an insult, and activists face virulent rejection from part of the population, particularly young men. President Yoon Suk-yeol, elected in 2022, capitalized on this resentment by denying the existence of structural discrimination and promising to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality.
Many South Korean women therefore practice what sociologists call “silent feminism” : they adopt feminist principles in their daily lives while avoiding publicly identifying themselves as feminists, for fear of reprisals.
An impact difficult to measure
The 4B Movement has also been wrongly associated with the decline in birth rate in South Korea, which reached a world record of 0.72 children per woman in 2023. However, experts point out that this phenomenon is linked to much more complex causes, such as the high cost of living, educational expectations and economic pressures.
On a global level, the 4B Movement illustrates a growing trend: Asian feminist movements are now influencing Western societies, reversing the traditional pattern where influence went in the other direction.
Conclusion: a feminist revolution in progress?
The 4B Movement divides, but it raises fundamental questions about the place of women in society and their ability to free themselves from patriarchal constraints. In South Korea as elsewhere, this phenomenon embodies a desire to redefine norms and build a future where women can define themselves independently of gendered expectations.
What do you think? Is this movement a solution to inequalities or too radical a reaction? Share your opinions in comments!
