4B movement in South Korea: Feminism was a movement that is often traced back to the mid-19th century. But the 4B movement in Korea is a much newer innovation. What started as resistance against gender inequality and unpaid labour in the early 2010s is quickly becoming a global phenomenon. As Indians on the Internet rally to bring the 4B movement to India, this South Korean movement has led to the lowest birth rate in the world and abstinence.
4B, an essentially radical feminist initiative, involves the rejection of patriarchal symbols of society. Peaking during the advent of online feminist activism, it was fueled by the #MeToo movement and the 2016 Gangnam Station murder, and the ‘Escape the Corset’ movement. The 4B movement also had political origins, when Yoon Suk-Yoel’s 2022 presidency tried to abolish the Gender Equality Ministry.
What are the 4B’s?
The 4B’s in the movement stand for four institutions like bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating), and bisekseu (no sex with men).
South Korea has the largest gender-based pay gap, nearly 31 per cent. It places less value on a woman’s paid and unpaid work, including childcare and motherhood. In fact, it is one of the leading places where revenge porn is highly common, with workplace harassment on the rise. The ongoing economic crisis also points towards the abandoned job market and youth unemployment.
The 4B movement, however, is not a personal vendetta against the gender but a systemic opt-out from cultural norms, which prop up inequality. Experts worry whether the movement, if it spreads rapidly around the world, will further fuel a decline in the birth rate, abortion fears, and overall resentment towards ‘male culture’.
‘Bring this to India’
South Korea‘s 4B movement has seen a massive audience in India, too. With the advent of K-pop and popularised Korean culture, from fast-food joints to street vendors, several Indian females look up to the trend on social media. “This should come in India asap!! I have been thinking about it since my teenage years (sic),” wrote a user on Instagram, as others appreciated the 4B movement. “The 4B movement simply claims that if the world that is coming from our body is oppressing and disrespecting us…then we won’t give rebirth to it…Simple as it is (sic),” explained another. “Love is just chemicals and hormones,” felt another netizen.
“Women should be able to have this choice,” carried another pro-4B comment, while others felt that marriage was a “flawed concept”. While some comments read that it was a great escape for those who don’t wish to get married. However, another user warned of a consent-less world if this situation prevailed, as many brought in the debate of a pseudofeminist version of twisted reality.
