Femicide and the 4B movement
by Riley Duignan
I bet we’ve all heard what feminism is, what it does, and why it exists. It’s common sense, and a good cause to fight against patriarchal and sexist systems set throughout society. Feminism itself is a big umbrella, with many miniature movements that stand under that umbrella. One of these movements is called the 4B movement, a feminist movement formed by women in South Korea.
The beginning of the 4B movement
The 4B movement, a separate movement under the feminist umbrella, was made as a protest against misogyny and hate against women from male perpetrators. It was created by feminist groups in South Korea after a man by the name of Kim Seong-min had brutally stabbed a woman to death outside the bathroom of Exit 10 in Gangnam subway station in Seoul, South Korea. He stated he killed her because he’s always felt ignored by women in the past and present, and couldn’t take it anymore. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison, but during the court hearing, they stated that his action was not a hate crime towards women, and it stemmed from mental illness.
So, what is the 4B movement?
The 4b movement is a radical feminist movement where South Korean women stop dating, and romantically interacting with men. The 4 in the name, represents the “four No’s” women who are part of this movement follow for heterosexual relationships, these are;
No dating men
No marrying men
No having sexual intercourse with men
No having children with men
Femicide and Domestic abuse
After many feminist circles spread through protests and media, more women joined in and began to hear about this ruling, which enraged the women of South Korea. The term ‘Femicide’ began to be passed around the country, being used in protests and as an official term for violent hate crimes against women.
The term ‘Femicide’ is not just used in South Korea, it’s a term that has been adopted in many countries, especially with high rates of gender violence. The term itself literally means the killing of a woman or a girl, by a man on account of her gender. For this, the Seocho-dong public restroom murder was named a femicide.
South Korea is not new to the concept of domestic abuse, it’s sadly more common than you’d think. Dating culture and how Korean society treats women are borderline misogynistic and unprotected, leaving more women vulnerable to higher rates of domestic violence, homicides, and abuse. In 2023, close to around 138 women were killed by their husbands or boyfriends, and around 311 women survived attempted murder. In addition, every 19 hours a woman faces the risk of being killed by her male partner or husband. (koreapro.org)
Sadly, domestic abuse and violence can be seen skyrocketing in SK, but not slowly. In 2020 the National police agency in South Korea reported around 49,000 dating violence cases, and in 2023 dating violence cases peaked at more than 77,000 being reported.
4B movement in the US
Since the end of 2023, the 4B movement has died down in South Korea. It began to spread to the US after the 2024 election, when Donald Trump was voted into office.
Many young women in America began to hear and learn about this movement, wanting to join in due to the high male population that voted for Trump. Trump has stated many times his anti-abortion stance, and his presidential plans to force ‘protection’ for women and life. (cnn.com)
It is very early to tell if this movement is even the least bit effective in the US currently, but through social media, the concept of American women joining the movement in return for the results of the recent presidential election has been circulating.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korean-youtuber-tzuyang-says-she-was-victim-dating-violence-2024-07-11/#:~:text=Nearly%2014%2C000%20people%20were%20charged,punishment%20and%20better%20protect%20victims.
South Korea’s surge in dating violence exposes lack of protections for women
https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/09/us/4b-movement-trump-south-korea-wellness-cec/index.html
South Korea news and analysis on politics, business and culture
