What is 4B, this South Korean feminist movement?

We know South Korea for its amazing cuisine, its K-Pop bands and its love of karaoke. What is less known, however, is the extent of the misogyny that prevails there. However, some signs may have given us fleas in our ears, such as the election in May 2022 of Yoon Suk-yeol, conservative president with an openly sexist program (according to him, the country’s low birth rate is due to feminist movements). Or this survey, carried out by the Ministry for Equal Opportunities and the Family, which revealed, in 2016, that the spousal violence rate per intimate partner was 41.5%, which is a significantly higher average than the global average, peaking at 30%.

In the face of this phenomenon, a large-scale feminist movement has emerged. Her name? 4b. An abbreviation of four words, which act as pillars and all start with ” bi », ” NO “in Korean.

A rejection of heteronormative models

“Bihon” means the rejection of heterosexual marriage, “bisekseu” the rejection of heterosexual sex, “biyeonae” the rejection of seeking any romantic partner and male dating, “bichulsan” the rejection of the duty of reproduction and I leave. This movement therefore goes against the codes of traditional Korean society and constitutes a lever in the fight against patriarchy adopted by 50,000 women in the country. Some even choose to distance themselves completely from men.

The 4B movement is at the crossroads of several feminist currents, such as the movement ” escape the corset about rejecting the physical standards imposed by society, such as wearing long hair or wearing makeup.

Claiming membership involves a bold lifestyle change in a society governed by paternalistic ideals. In addition to the cyberbullying of which they are victims, the 4Bs pay dearly for this emancipation in a country whose economic context is rather standing in the way. “ They they work hard because they know they won’t have a man or a husband to support their family “, reports a Korean researcher a Cutting. And this, like our colleagues from Neonin a society where women’s wages are 31% lower than their male counterparts.