Resistance through no sex: The 4B movement in South Korea | DW Documentary
The 4B movement in South Korea represents one of the most radical rejections of patriarchy to date: no sex, no dating, no marriage, no children.
For years, the image of young women in Seoul’s nightlife was characterized by mini-skirts, makeup, and a ‘cute’ demeanor. Now, more women are adopting short hair, baggy pants, and loose shirts as a statement of independence. Meanwhile, marriage and birth rates in South Korea have hit historic lows. Socioeconomic factors play a role – but for many women, it’s a conscious rejection of patriarchal norms – still deeply embedded in South Korean society. The movement has also sparked backlash from many South Korean men, who often reject even moderate forms of feminism, which remains highly stigmatized. A report by Caroline Bergmann.
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Video “Resistance through no sex: The 4B movement in South Korea | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 05/25/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.
This movement is selfish and narcissistic. They fail to mention the hardships and sacrifices that men go through. Its important for men and women to work together. These women see men as adversaries that they sabotage and work against, which is wrong. You can work on important issues like domestic violence without striking off men as a whole and falling into extreme feminism.
I feel hurt for SK women, honestly. SK men are horrendously conservative and think they r top of the universe, lol
😂😂😂 if the 20 something chebols either gives up their power, or they must sacrifice their power and future with the dying population…..its their choice
We have to be more human than man or woman .
By human I mean negating the things that are residual and not necessary which bound someone and one's potential.
More power to our identity as a consciousness than body or societal or historical image .
Don't waste the beautiful blessings of motherhood and wifehood given by God!
A very enlightening documentary. I had no idea gender equality was so archaic in South Korea.
One point to note is that this approach also punishes the women themselves. The shared intimacy is a mutual pleasure, and most women have a deep, biological desire to have children which can lead to desperation towards the end of their fertile years, and a profound sadness later.
Having said that, women are better at forming social relationships to make up for being alone, while men just suffer loneliness in silence. It’s a war with no winners.
Come to the west 😂😂😂
The elites are succeeding in dividing and conquering.
Depopulation in progress…
11:12 – It only reflects that your belly is full every evening, and you don't need to stick with a man to keep it this way.
I met a 26 year old woman from South Korea who says she not feel discriminated at all. I asked her about 4B and she told me that it is not everywhere like the foreign media potrays. Most women are still looking for a man, but they are less interested in having children, hence the very low birth rate. Gender roles are very similar elsewhere.
4:08 – somehow even primates show that they understand unfairness yet when it comes to humans, according to feminists, women need a special education to recognize it. Interesting…
"All of us here are language teachers" – so they all know English, and because of that they can't help but be brainwashed by western culture…
Good for men
Population collapse
The one who has said a complete No to anything is as entangled as the one who has accepted a complete yes for same thing.
I suppose it goes to show how many expectations are put on women. I only have one friend who is doing 4b, just not labelling herself as such. I just thought that was her personal choice. She is just such a sensible, kind friend, it never occurred to me there could be something wrong with her. I guess it says a lot about Korean culture.
In India girls fell in love with Korean men.
In reality, the number of women participating in the 4B movement in Korea is not that many. However, as one of those participating in the 4B movement, I would like to tell you a short story.
I feel that misogyny in Korea is currently very serious. An ordinary middle school boy proudly posts a picket sign on the Internet saying that women’s voices should not be loud, and an ordinary college boy uploads a video of himself running behind a woman walking down the street at night and threatening her. People of all ages and genders praise characters who hit and curse at women as cute and even open pop-up stores. The gender wage gap goes without saying. I remember being surprised and envious when I heard the news that workers at Disney filed a lawsuit for a 2% wage gap. In terms of wage gap, Korean women have been working without pay since September.
However, even in this situation, only a very small number of women are raising the issue. Some women even want their sons or husbands to be paid more than women they don’t know. There are no women among the current presidential candidates in Korea, and only one person has made a pledge for women. But that person also supports non-surgical transgenders entering women's restrooms.. In this situation where women have been beaten to death by men in restrooms, it's impossible to count the number of times.
(There may be differences of opinion in foreign countries and Korea on this part. But I can't agree with men entering women's restrooms with penises. You know about molka, right? Haha. Rather, make one more gender-neutral restroom. Of course, I don't want to step foot in there. Haha.)
Anyway, in this situation, all we can do is participate in the 4B movement to live independently without being incorporated into the male-centered patriarchy. Of course, it's not easy to confidently express this opinion offline. Because you never know when you'll be attacked. In fact, there is a woman who was beaten by a male customer at work and became disabled just because she had short hair.
I also support the 4B movement, but at work, I just say that I like being alone and I'm not married "yet." I don't date men because I don't want to die. 🙂
But the moment I tell the truth, I'll hear from all men, women with sons, and women with boyfriends and husbands, "Not all men are like that." I don't want to walk through a minefield. If there's a minefield, you shouldn't cross it, right?
Dating violence and domestic violence in Korea are very serious, but male police officers treat it as a domestic problem and don't stop it. That's why many women die. You can get beaten to death by a stranger on the street, but it's even more dangerous if you're dating someone. That's why I do the 4b movement.
I wish all those who bully the weak and animals would die.❤
When I was in college “worshipping our own livelihood” sounded awesome and dare I say virtuous. Years later I question that.
as if south korea population is not already in trouble ……
LOL
I'm always wondering… Why few of the men extremly hate women who made a choice to live alone for themselves? It is those women's life not for them.
Wait so liberal democracy does work? 😂😂😂
Stop spreading the wokeness hypocrisy of the west to asia.
Look how the wokeness hypocrisy destroyed the Western culture and now these trash hypocrisy media keep spreading the ugliest propaganda
Asian have their own solutions. Dont come here and entitled that the west know the answer for everything. The westen wokeness hypocrisy already destroyed their values, cultures.