The Rise Of The 4B Movement In The US – Analysis

Donald Trump’s unexpectedly convincing victory in the November 5 presidential election has reverberated negatively within left-leaning political circles in America. While Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and their Democratic Party have conceded defeat and promised a peaceful transfer of power to the new Republican administration, liberals and leftists are struggling to come to terms with the loss.

This is most evident on social media, where leftist activists express controversial views, openly displaying their disappointment, anger, hatred, and hostility toward everyone who voted for Trump. All indications point to a major wave of street protests and unrest, similar to the early weeks of Trump’s first administration in early 2017 or in the style of the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020. The most intriguing form of rebellion against Trump’s triumph is the loud calls for the introduction of the radical feminist 4B movement to America, which originated in South Korea. And this isn’t the first time.

Initial Calls for Introducing the 4B Movement in the U.S.

When the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that granted women in America a constitutional right to abortion, it unleashed a wave of reactions. The decision removed the federal constitutional standard that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide, transferring authority to individual states to independently legislate on the matter. Many states immediately began implementing stricter laws, while others continued to protect abortion rights. It was clear that the decision deeply divided American society. Some conservatives, aiming for a complete abortion ban, considered the ruling too lenient for prioritizing civil over human rights, while most liberals found it outrageous.

It was at this time that interest in introducing the 4B movement to America first emerged. Radical feminist activists launched a campaign promoting abstinence from sexual relations or rigorously selecting romantic partners (exclusively left-leaning) and adhering strictly to contraceptive methods as a form of protest against the American political system. However, since the number of abortions increased after the 2022 ruling, it is evident that many women did not heed their calls.

Trump’s Victory Presents a New Opportunity

Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election has been perceived by many women as an attack on their rights and freedoms. Why? Because they believe that men of all races and age groups voted for Trump to reduce or eliminate their rights. Specifically, according to liberal activists, Trump hates women and wants to ban abortion at all costs. As evidence of the new president’s misogyny, they point to allegations of his sexual misconduct involving numerous women (despite no valid convictions) and his supposed desire to ban abortion (which is inaccurate—Trump does not support a federal abortion ban but allows states to decide).

However, feminists are not focusing on truth and facts but rather on public perception. The key is to leverage the public impression created by American mainstream media that Trump is a misogynist. This strategy appears to be working, as the ideas of the movement have begun spreading rapidly. As a form of protest against America’s rightward shift, feminists see potential in adopting the principles of the South Korean 4B movement. Notably, anti-Trump activists have not addressed the question of why 45% of women overall, and even 53% of white women, voted for Trump.

The 4B Movement Explained

The 4B movement originated in South Korea in the late 2010s on social media, particularly Twitter. The four principles underpinning its philosophy are the “Four No’s”: no sexual relations with men (biseksu), no childbirth (bichulsan), no romantic relationships (biyeonae), and no marriages to men (bihon). The movement derives its name from the initial letter “B” in these Korean terms.

The movement emerged in South Korea as a response to deeply entrenched societal norms that restrict women’s freedoms. Despite modernization and economic development, South Korea remains a society with certain patriarchal structures. Although women have made significant strides in education and employment, they still face pressures related to family roles, societal expectations, and workplace challenges. Furthermore, gender inequality manifests through low percentages of women in top corporate positions, wage disparities, and sexual harassment.

The movement has undoubtedly achieved some successes. South Korea’s fertility rate has been declining since 1983, with recent years seeing further drops. According to the latest data, the fertility rate in 2023 fell to 0.72 births per woman, far below the replacement rate of 2.1 needed to maintain the population. This is the lowest fertility rate recorded globally. A 2022 survey revealed that approximately two-thirds of South Korean women do not want children, compared to half of men. While the record-low fertility rate is mainly attributed to high living costs and societal conformity, there is no doubt that 4B has played a role.

Being a woman without a partner or child is highly fashionable in South Korea, and it is a lifestyle that many women enjoy.

American Characteristics of the Idea

A 4B movement with American characteristics is envisioned as a response and revenge by liberal women against the electoral preferences of men, as well as a significant portion of women. Radical supporters of Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party cannot accept the fact that America in 2025 will not have its first female president of mixed race. Even more, they cannot reconcile with the reality that Donald Trump will once again be president, a man they do not even attempt to hide their hatred for. Clips of advocates calling for the adoption of the movement have garnered hundreds of thousands of views and numerous comments, while online searches for the term “4B” have seen an increase of 400 to 500 percent.

The American characteristics of the movement cannot be overlooked. Advocates of the 4B movement believe they can retaliate against Trump voters and the American patriarchal system by destroying the country’s fertility rate, which stood at 1.78 last year. Some women aim to boycott men in every conceivable way. In addition to refusing sexual relations, relationships, marriages, and childbirth, some even go as far as refusing to speak to men. Loud calls are being made to break up relationships with boyfriends and marriages with husbands. Regarding socializing and offering support, they suggest spending time with female friends who don’t necessarily have to be lesbians. Some claim that men will no longer have easy access to sexual relations as they did before.

If feminists’ response is consistent with their announced intentions, it might not necessarily be bad for America. Abstaining from one-night stands with men unwilling to commit to marriage and children would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and, consequently, the number of abortions and single mothers. This could be a win-win situation for both women and the American state, as it would lower social welfare costs. Additionally, it would reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, benefiting both individuals and the country as a whole. Casual and surface-level relationships are the primary drivers of STD transmission.

In essence, ultra-liberal feminists might unknowingly adopt certain conservative values. One such value is abstaining from sex before marriage. They propose that women stop dressing up, maintaining slim and attractive physiques, to avoid being tempting to men and engaging in sexual relations with them. Some activists have gone so far as to shave their heads entirely, intending to make themselves unattractive to men. This could have harmful consequences, particularly for women battling cancer, alopecia, or other health conditions that cause hair loss. These women might become the targets of conservative activists who accuse them of intentionally shaving their heads in protest of Trump’s victory.

Possible Consequences

Overall, it is uncertain whether feminists will adhere to the 4B movement’s values, which they have so vocally proclaimed. There is a significant likelihood that the movement will fizzle out within a few weeks and that life will resume as usual, similar to what happened after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The number of abortions continued to rise because liberal women, who often engage in casual sexual relations, evidently did not refuse interested men, whether they were boyfriends, husbands, or “one-night friends.” It is hard to expect that this time will be different and that liberal women will embrace a conservative approach to choosing partners and abstaining from premarital sex.

However, it is likely that the movement will have negative long-term consequences for women and society in the U.S., the only question being to what extent. This is a radical form of feminism that will continue to be preached at major American universities like Harvard, Princeton, Berkeley, and Stanford, as well as in mainstream media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, and The Washington Post.

The idea that an adult woman should be completely independent, without a partner or children, will not contribute positively to the U.S. demographic outlook. It may only harm it further. A country without positive demographics is a country with a big problem—even one with over 300 million residents like the U.S. Fewer children mean less income in every economic sector, a reduced labor force, and significant burdens on the social and pension systems. This situation would negatively impact the U.S. economy and create a greater need for foreign labor. New immigration would exacerbate divisions in American society, which are already deeply entrenched.

Adopting the principles of the 4B movement could encourage further divisions in America. The U.S. society might become even more starkly divided into conservative and liberal factions, a divide increasingly reflected on geographical maps—people relocating to counties and states that align with their values. Given that conservative America will likely have a higher birth rate than liberal America, it is evident that conservatives could continue winning in presidential, congressional, and local elections to come. All this would lead to new divisions that threaten the very existence of the United States in its current format.