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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Raphael Rashid in Seoul

As 4B takes the world by storm, South Korea is grappling with a backlash against feminism

4B South Korea Feminism Jung Yeonje Donald Trump United States
South Korean women carry flags reading ‘feminist’ as they march during a rally to mark International Women's Day in downtown Seoul on March 8, 2024.
South Korean women carry flags reading ‘feminist’ as they march during a rally to mark international women's day in Seoul on 8 March 2024. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

As Donald Trump secured victory in the US presidential election, an unexpected phenomenon began trending on social media: young American women declaring their commitment to “4B”, a fringe South Korean feminist movement advocating the rejection of marriage, childbirth, dating and sex.

The movement has sparked intense global interest, with millions of views on TikTok and viral X posts heralding it as a women’s rights revolution.

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