by EMILY STANDLEY ALLARD
On June 9, about 22,000 South Korean women marched through the streets of Seoul. The protest – reportedly the largest by women in South Korean history – focused on the proliferation of so-called “spy cams,” tiny cameras used to invade women’s privacy, filming them in toilets and up their skirts, with images often posted online. Activists say the government is not taking the issues seriously – except in the rare case where a man is the victim.
To combat this and other behavior South Korean women are taking a definitive and some say radical stand known as the 4B movement which is gaining momentum around the world.
The 4B movement also known as the “birth strike” and “marriage strike” meant to combat South Korea’s extreme patriarchal and misogynistic culture.
This wave is growing in popularity over the last several years – resulting in a serious outcome for population growth. Will this be a growing trend across the world?
South Korea currently has the world’s lowest fertility rate, with women having less than one child on average.
The drop in South Korea’s fertility rate over the past few years results from the “4B Movement,” with the B’s representing the Korean words bihon, bichulsan, biyeonae, and bisekseu for marriage, childbirth, dating, and sex respectively.
The 4B Movement: South Korean Women Rejecting Traditional Expectations
In 2019, the 4B Movement emerged in South Korea, it’s been getting a lot of notice on TikTok, gaining more traction and sparking debate.
This movement’s central tenets challenge deeply ingrained societal norms, advocating that women should reject the following:
- Bihon: Heterosexual marriage
- Bichulsan: Childbirth
- Biyeonae: Dating men
- Bisekseu: Heterosexual relationships
Unraveling the Roots of the 4B Movement
The 4B Movement stems from a complex mix of social, economic, and cultural factors that have created a climate of deep-seated discontent and also rage among many young South Korean women, including:
- Persistent Patriarchy & Misogyny: Despite South Korea’s position as a developed, modernized nation, patriarchal structures are deeply embedded in its society. Women often face discrimination in the workplace, are pressured to conform to unrealistic beauty standards (Korea is the #1 country for plastic surgery procedures), and carry a disproportionate burden of domestic labor and childcare.
- Economic Hardships and Disillusionment: South Korea’s hyper-competitive economy and the skyrocketing cost of living have made it increasingly difficult to form families and raise children. Many young women feel disillusioned with the lack of opportunities and the expectation that their primary role should be as wives and mothers.
- The #MeToo Reckoning: The global #MeToo movement had a significant impact on South Korea, exposing widespread sexual harassment and violent assault with little reprehension or justice by authorities. This ignited a broader critique of gender inequality and inspired women to demand greater autonomy and bodily agency.
- Online Feminist Communities: Social media has empowered feminist movements in South Korea. These platforms raise awareness, help share personal experiences, and organize around common causes. The 4B movement has found fertile ground in these spaces with people around the globe.
The Evolution of South Korean Feminism
The 4B movement can be understood as part of a broader trajectory within South Korean feminism.
Previous feminist movements, like the Escape the Corset movement, focused primarily on challenging unrealistic beauty standards and the objectification of women.
The 4B movement expands on this, taking a more radical stance against the entire institution of heterosexual marriage and the traditional family structure within South Korean society.
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