Surge of Interest in South Korea’s 4B Feminist Movement Post-Trump Election

Surge of Interest in South Korea’s 4B Feminist Movement Following Trump’s Election Victory

Donald Trump’s recent victory in the US presidential election has ignited a wave of curiosity among American women regarding South Korea’s “4B” fringe feminist movement. This movement advocates for women to take a stand against traditional relationships with men, promoting principles that discourage dating, marriage, sexual relations, and motherhood.

Across popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X, many American women are enthusiastically sharing the core tenets of the 4B movement, which includes:

Bihon – no marriage with men
Biyeonae – no dating
Bichulsan – no giving birth
Bisekseu – no sex with men

These principles resonate with a growing number of individuals, leading to viral videos on TikTok that have garnered millions of views. One user expressed her commitment by stating, “Doing my part as an American woman by breaking up with my Republican boyfriend last night and officially joining the 4B movement this morning.”

On the day Trump’s victory was confirmed, Google searches for “4B” skyrocketed by 450%, with over 200,000 users seeking information about the movement. This significant spike made it one of the top trending topics on the search engine, predominantly driven by interest from users in the United States.

The rising fascination with the 4B movement underscores widespread concerns among women in America about the potential rollback of female freedoms and reproductive rights under Trump’s leadership. Many fear that a Trump presidency would jeopardize the progress made in women’s rights, particularly regarding reproductive health.

The 4B movement traces its origins to South Korea, emerging in the wake of the country’s #MeToo movement in 2018. This movement arose amidst widespread outrage and national protests in South Korea over the pervasive issue of spycam incidents—where hidden cameras were used to film victims in compromising situations. The 4B movement, which reportedly encompasses a few thousand women in South Korea, challenges the nation’s deeply rooted conservative and patriarchal culture, shedding light on critical issues such as violence against women and the gender wage gap. Notably, South Korea ranks a concerning 94th out of 146 nations in the World Economic Forum’s global gender gap index.

In the context of the US presidential election, many viewed it as a referendum on women’s rights. A key element of Democratic challenger and Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign was her steadfast support for access to abortion and her warnings that Trump would further erode these rights. The US Supreme Court’s controversial decision in 2022 to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling—a decision that Trump openly celebrated—resulted in the elimination of the constitutional right to abortion and triggered a wave of restrictive laws in Republican-controlled states.

This election cycle saw ten states voting on measures to expand abortion rights. Ultimately, seven states voted in favor of the measures, while three states—Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota—rejected them. This marked the first victories for anti-abortion advocates in the US since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling. Activists for abortion rights have expressed deep concerns that a Trump administration would further limit access to reproductive rights and services.

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Despite the Democratic campaign’s focus on abortion and its significance in pre-election discussions, the issue did not resonate as strongly with voters as the Harris campaign had anticipated. An Edison Research exit poll revealed that only 14% of voters considered abortion their primary election concern, compared to 34% who prioritized the state of democracy and 32% who focused on economic issues.

Furthermore, while Harris captured a majority of female voters with 53% of their support compared to Trump’s 46%, her margin was notably narrower than President Joe Biden’s 55% share during his victorious campaign in 2020.