From Seoul to the world: Why the 4B Movement is important now more than ever

It’s not news that we still live in a deeply patriarchal world, but when it comes to certain countries, the circumstances are especially dire. Women in South Korea, for instance, face a stark gender pay gap, limited representation in leadership, rigid societal expectations, sexism, sexual harassment, and widespread violence. In fact, South Korea holds the largest wage gap among OECD countries—men earned 31.2% more than women in 2022, according to OECD data.For many women in South Korea, the idea of dating men, getting married, or having children no longer feels worth it, especially when these norms often lower their quality of life. And this is how the 4B movement was birthed.The 4B movement explainedIf explained quite literally, the 4B stands for ‘bi,’ which translates to ‘no’ in Korean. The ‘4Bs’ are Bihon (no heterosexual marriage), Bichulsan (no childbirth), Biyeonae (no dating), and Bisekseu (no heterosexual sexual relationships). In 2010, the movement was initiated by South Korea...