The Bridge
Why so many South Korean women are refusing to date, marry or have kids
South Korean women are confronting severe sexism and rising digital sex crimes, prompting movements like 4B, where women reject relationships with men amid increasing gender hostility and resentment.
Min Joo Lee, Indiana University
South Korea finds itself embroiled in an all-out gender war – and it keeps getting worse.
The animosity between Korean men and women has reached a point where some women are outright refusing to date, marry and have kids with men – a phenomenon known as the 4B movement.
As a Korean feminist scholar living in the U.S., I’ve followed this gender war from afar as I conducted research on contemporary Korean gender politics.
However, I also became embroiled in it myself after my research on Korean masculinity was published by CNN.
The article described foreign women who traveled to Korea after becoming enamored of the idea of dating Korean men from watching Korean television dramas. I pointed out that since the tourists’ fantasies were based on fictional characters, some of them ended up disappointed with the Korean men they dated in real life.
The article was about racial politics and the masculine ideals. But some Korean readers thought that I was simply criticizing Korean men for not being romantic and handsome enough. One enraged Korean man commented that I was an “ugly feminist.”
But this was tame in comparison to what women living in South Korea have endured in recent years.
Extreme misogyny and a feminist backlash
Over the past couple of decades, there have been flash points in this gender war.
In 2010, Ilbe, a right-wing website that traffics in misogyny, started attracting users who peppered the forums with vulgar posts about women.
Then in 2015, an online extremist feminist group named Megalia arose. Its goal was to fight back by demeaning Korean men in ways that mirrored the rhetoric on sites like Ilbe.
A year later, a man who had professed his hatred of women murdered a random woman in a public bathroom near a Seoul subway station. He was eventually sentenced to decades in prison, but the lines were quickly drawn. On one side were feminists, who saw misogyny as the underlying motive. On the other side were men who claimed that it was merely the isolated actions of a mentally ill man. The two groups violently clashed during competing protests at the site of the murder.
A backdrop of digital sex crimes
However, none of these events have elicited as much public controversy as the steep rise in digital sex crimes. These are newer forms of sexual violence facilitated by technology: revenge porn; upskirting, which refers to surreptitiously snapping photos under women’s skirts in public; and the use of hidden cameras to film women having sex or undressing.
In 2018, there were 2,289 reported cases of digital sex crimes; in 2021, the number snowballed to 10,353.
In 2019, there were two major incidents that involved digital sex crimes.
In one, a number of male K-pop stars were indicted for filming and circulating videos of women in group chatrooms without their consent.
A few months later, Koreans were shocked to learn about what became known as the “Nth Room Incident,” during which hundreds of perpetrators – mostly men – committed digital sex crimes on dozens of women and minors.
They tended to target poorer women – sex workers, or women who wanted to make a few bucks by sharing anonymous nude photos of themselves. The perpetrators either hacked into their social media accounts or approached these women and offered them money, but asked for their personal information so they could transmit the funds. Once they obtained this information, they blackmailed the women by threatening to reveal their sex work and their nudes to their friends and family.
Since sex work and posting nude images of yourself online are illegal in Korea, the women, fearing arrest or being ostracized by friends and family, complied with the perpetrators’ demands to send even more compromising images of themselves. The men would then swap these images in chatrooms.
And yet a 2019 survey conducted by the Korean government found that large swaths of the population blamed women for these sex crimes: 52% said that they believed sexual violence occurs because women wear revealing clothes, while 37% thought if women experienced sexual assault while drunk, they are partly to blame for their victimization.
In other words, a significant percentage of the Korean population believes that female sexuality is the problem – not the sexual violence.
Government policy lays the groundwork
Digital sex crimes are too widespread to lay the blame at the feet of a handful of bad actors.
To me, part of the problem stems from the long history of “gendered citizenship.”
Korean feminist scholar Seungsook Moon has written about the ways in which the government created one track for men and another for women as the country sought to modernize in the second half of the 20th century:
“Men were mobilized for mandatory military service and then, as conscripts, utilized as workers and researchers in the industrializing economy. Women were consigned to lesser factory jobs, and their roles as members of the modern nation were defined largely in terms of biological reproduction and household management.”
Although these policies are no longer officially carried out, the underlying attitudes about gender roles remain embedded in Korean life and culture. Women who veer from being mothers and housewives expose themselves to public and private backlash.
The government has created gender quotas in certain industries to try to unravel this system of gendered citizenship.
For instance, some government jobs have minimum gender quotas for new hires, and the government encourages the private sector to implement similar policies. In historically male-dominant industries, such as construction, there are quotas for female hires, while in historically female-dominant industries, such as education, there are male quotas.
In some ways, this has only made things worse. Each gender feels as if the other is receiving special treatment due to these affirmative action policies. Resentment festers.
‘The generation that has given up’
Today, the sense of competition between young men and women is exacerbated by the soaring cost of living and rampant unemployment.
Called the “N-Po Generation,” which roughly translates as “the generation that has given up,” many young South Koreans don’t think they can achieve certain milestones that previous generations took for granted: marriage, having kids, finding a job, owning a home and even friendships.
Although all genders find themselves discouraged, the act of “giving up” has caused more problems for women. Men see women who forgo marriage and having kids as selfish. And when they then try to compete against men for jobs, some men become incensed.
Many of the men who have become radicalized commit digital sex crimes to take revenge on women who, in their view, have abandoned their duties.
Ultimately, the competitive dynamic created by the Korean government’s embrace of gendered citizenship has stoked the virulent gender war between Korean men and women, with digital sex crimes used as ammunition.
The 4B movement, whereby Korean women forego heterosexual dating, marriage, and childbirth, represents a radical escalation of the gender war by seeking to create an online and offline world devoid of men. Rather than engaging in altercations, these women are refusing to interact with men, period.
Digital sex crimes are a global problem
To be sure, digital sex crimes are not unique to Korea.
When I teach my college class on digital sex crimes in the U.S., I’m surprised by how many of my students admit that they’ve been victims of digital sex crimes, or knew of it happening at their high schools. And at the National Women’s Studies Association’s annual conference in 2022, I watched feminist activists and scholars from all over the world present their findings about digital sex crimes back home.
Since each country has its own cultural context for the rise in digital sex crimes, there isn’t a single solution to solve the problems. But in South Korea, continuing to unravel the system of gendered citizenship could be part of the solution.
Min Joo Lee, Postdoctoral Fellow, Indiana University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
5 Ways to Make a Difference in Your Community
(Feature Impact) Communities are strengthened every day by local organizations working to address challenges close to home, whether that’s helping families access food, supporting students, expanding opportunity or providing essential resources to those who need them most. Often operating with limited resources, these organizations are finding practical solutions that make a meaningful difference in neighborhoods and communities across the country.
Many of these efforts happen quietly, powered by people who volunteer their time, share their expertise, donate resources or simply help spread awareness of causes they care about.
For individuals looking to make a difference where they live, community involvement doesn’t have to start with a large commitment. Consider these five options to get involved.
Give Your Time
Giving your time is one of the most direct ways to support organizations serving your community. Whether it’s packing meals, mentoring young people or participating in neighborhood cleanups, volunteering allows people to contribute directly while gaining a deeper understanding of local needs.
Share Your Skills
Nonprofits often need specialized skills in addition to hands-on volunteer support. Communications support, technology expertise, event planning, photography, financial guidance and other professional skills can help organizations expand their reach and strengthen their operations. Contributing the skills you’ve developed can often be just as valuable as donating time or resources.
Tap Into Your Workplace
Many employers offer opportunities to support causes that matter to their employees, such as volunteer programs, community grants or other charitable opportunities.
In communities across the country, local nonprofits can receive support through programs like the PepsiCo Foundation’s Community Impact Awards, where employees can nominate nonprofit organizations in their local communities for grant funding. Since 2022, the program has invested more than $3.7 million into organizations working on issues ranging from food access to education and community development.
“Across North America, there are organizations showing up every day for their communities, often without recognition and with limited resources,” said Monica Bauer, SVP of social impact, PepsiCo and president of the PepsiCo Foundation. “The Community Impact Awards help shine a light on organizations that are creating opportunities, solving local challenges and making a real difference in people’s lives. What makes this program special is that the recognition comes from PepsiCo associates who know these organizations firsthand and have seen their impact up close.”
This year, 100 organizations across the U.S. and Canada received $500,000 total in grants and teamed up with their respective nominating employees for volunteer activities supporting their missions, giving employees another opportunity to engage directly.
Give What You Can
Financial contributions are a valuable way to give back, but they aren’t the only option. Many organizations need non-monetary donations such as school supplies, canned goods, clothing, toys and technology. Before collecting items, check with organizations to learn what is most needed and how contributions can make the greatest impact.
Use Your Voice
One person can make a difference. When that person gets a friend or family member involved, more people can discover and support organizations doing important work. Sharing a nonprofit’s mission on social media, inviting others to volunteer or connecting people with causes you care about can help organizations reach new supporters and expand their impact.
Making a difference doesn’t require doing everything at once. Whether you contribute your time, skills, resources or advocacy, small actions can help make a big impact over time.
Across the U.S., nonprofit organizations are helping improve lives, create opportunities and respond to community needs every day. Their work is a reminder that meaningful change often starts locally with people willing to get involved.
Learn more about how individuals and organizations can help address some of the most pressing needs in their communities by visiting PepsiCo.com/about/social-impact.
SOURCE:
PepsiCo
Community
‘Give Like a Kid Again’ for Real-World Impact This Halloween
Costumes. Candy. Jack-o-lanterns glowing on porches. Halloween is filled with moments that spark children’s imaginations. This Halloween, children and families can “Give Like a Kid Again,” turning imagination into kindness and helping children around the world.
‘Give Like a Kid Again’ for Real-World Impact This Halloween
(Feature Impact)Costumes. Candy. Jack-o-lanterns glowing on porches. Halloween is filled with moments that spark children’s imaginations.
This Halloween, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is inviting children and families to “Give Like a Kid Again,” turning imagination into kindness and helping children around the world. For eight decades,the campaign has shown children that even the smallest act of kindness can travel farther than any front porch and shine brighter than any jack-o-lantern. As the longest-running youth engagement campaign in the United States, it has inspired generations of children to discover that when kids help kids, one Halloween tradition can turn into a lifetime of impact.
What started with just $17 in 1950, when a small group of children filled milk cartons with spare change to help children recovering from World War II, has grown into one of America’s most beloved Halloween traditions, raising nearly $200million to help the organization deliver lifesaving support for children around the world. Today, the iconic orange collection box reminds families that small acts of generosity can create lasting change.
“Each Halloween, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF reminds us that even the smallest acts of generosity can grow into something extraordinary,” said Shelley Diamond, chief marketing officer, UNICEF USA. “For more than 75 years, this campaign has shown generations of children that you are never too young to make a difference and ‘Give Like a Kid Again’ is about passing that belief on to the next generation.”
Beyond supporting programs in more than 190 countries and territories, donations strengthen the organization’s global humanitarian supply network, delivering emergency essentials like therapeutic food, medicine, blankets and safe water to children impacted by conflict, disasters and disease.
- Be a mermaid and help make waves for clean water. Help provide safe water for a child for a year for $5.
- Be a vampire and help scare away preventable diseases. World Polio Day, just a week before Halloween, provides an opportunity to protect 200 children under age 5 from polio with a $43 donation.
- Be a scientist and help uncover lifesaving answers. Provide 25 malaria diagnostic tests for just $8, helping children receive timely treatment.
- Be a teacher and help children write their next chapter. Provide 1,000 pencils to help children put their ideas, lessons and dreams on paper for $30.
- Be a chef and help cook up a healthier future. Over a two-month period, $10 can treat 15 children by providing 450 packets of micronutrient powder.
- Be an astronaut and help a girl reach for the stars. To helpsix girls feel confident in school, $36 can provide reusable menstrual pads.
- Be a snowman and help bundle up a child against the cold. A donation of $50 could provide a child in an emergency setting with winter clothing, including a jacket, hat, scarf, mittens, socks, winter boots, a warm sweater and warm puffball trousers.
- Be a soccer player (or referee) and help kick off playtime. Provide up to four packages of soccer balls for a child-friendly space for $25 to help kids just be kids again.
This October, everyone can “Give Like a Kid Again” through the iconic orange collection box, online fundraising and family-friendly activities. Visit unicefusa.org/TOT2026 to join the tradition and help make a difference for children around the world.
SOURCE:
UNICEF
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Community
PenFed Foundation Raises Over $1.2M for Veterans and Military Families at 23rd Annual Military Heroes Golf Classic
The PenFed Foundation says it raised over $1.2 million for veterans and military families at its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic.
The PenFed Foundation for Military Heroes said it raised more than $1.2 million to support veterans and military families during its 23rd annual Military Heroes Golf Classic, held Monday, Aug. 31, according to a PRNewswire release. The nonprofit, based in the Washington, D.C. region, focuses on helping veterans transition “from service to success” through programs and grants aimed at military-connected communities.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners and supporters whose generosity and dedication make this event—and the Foundation’s work—possible,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Bradford J. “B.J.” Shwedo, president of the PenFed Foundation, in a statement announcing the fundraising total.
At a dinner held the night before the Golf Classic, PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck recognized Ed Cody for 25 years of service on the foundation’s board of directors. Cody also serves as chairman of the PenFed Credit Union board and was credited with helping guide initiatives including Defender’s Lodge, the Afghan Rescue and Resettlement Program, the Veteran Entrepreneur Program, and grants supporting wounded, ill, and injured service members.
The foundation said it has provided more than $55 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, and military families since it was founded in 2001. It also noted that PenFed Credit Union covers salaries and administrative costs, allowing more donations to go directly to programs.
What to watch for: How the foundation allocates the new $1.2M across its veteran transition and emergency support programs—and whether it announces new grant rounds tied to entrepreneurship and resettlement work.
SOURCE PenFed Foundation
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