How Politics Can Shape Love and Relationships

While political movements often shape national discussions on issues like equality, justice, and personal freedoms, they also influence the more intimate aspects of human life. In the wake of political events such as the re-election of Donald Trump, we can see how relationships and personal dynamics are also affected by shifting policies and ideologies. The 4B movement—both in its original and adapted forms—offers a case study of how politics can permeate personal relationships, shaping not only how individuals interact with each other but also how they view love, intimacy, and social connection.

The 4B Movement: A Political Response to Gender Inequality

Originally, the 4B movement emerged in North Korea as part of a state-driven effort to regulate women’s relationships with men. In its North Korean context, the 4B movement encouraged women to avoid certain types of relationships with men—specifically boyfriends, betrayers (those seen as disloyal to the state), beer (social drinking), and bureaucrats (men in positions of power). The movement, while presented as a form of empowerment for women, was ultimately a state tool to control behavior and discourage personal attachments that could interfere with loyalty to the regime.

However, the 4B movement in South Korea and its emergence among young liberal women in the U.S. have shifted the meaning of this cultural phenomenon. In these contexts, the 4B movement has become a form of feminist resistance—particularly against patriarchal structures that influence gender relations. This modern iteration of the 4B movement isn't a state-enforced initiative but rather a community-based response to political climates perceived as hostile to women’s rights. The trigger for this surge of interest in the U.S. can be traced to the political and social shifts that occurred under Trump’s presidency, particularly the rollback of reproductive rights, the rise of misogynistic rhetoric, and the controversial appointments to the Supreme Court.

The Political Backdrop: Trump and the Erosion of Women’s Rights

The political climate surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency has had a profound impact on American society, particularly in regard to issues of gender and personal freedoms, prompted many women, especially younger liberals, to reassess their personal relationships with men and the broader patriarchal systems that often underpin them. The narrative that men, particularly those in power, were complicit in undermining women’s rights led some women to question the very foundation of traditional romantic relationships. The idea that love could be influenced by political ideologies and political events was brought to the forefront as a way to resist and regain control.

Some women have stopped dating or having sexual intercourse, viewing this personal decision as a form of protest against societal structures they believe perpetuate the marginalization of women. They argue that their well-being shouldn’t be defined by a male-dominated society. By rejecting male partners and relationships, these women are expressing a radical response to the erosion of their rights under Trump's administration, seeing it as an active betrayal by the patriarchy.

The movement has gained traction among young women on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where feminist discussions are increasingly drawing attention to its South Korean origins. These women are rethinking their relationships with men and embracing a similar form of activism by pledging to boycott dating, marriage, and emotional labor in male-dominated spaces, where they feel women’s autonomy is under growing threat.

The Role of Social Media in Redefining Love and Intimacy

Social media plays a significant role in amplifying the political dimensions of love and relationships. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow women to share their experiences and collectively process how political events shape their private lives. By creating a space for women to discuss the 4B movement, they are not just sharing personal anecdotes but also reinforcing a larger political statement about their dissatisfaction with the status quo.

The adoption of the 4B movement in the U.S. illustrates how political movements can spill over into personal relationships and redefine cultural norms surrounding intimacy. As young women turn to digital spaces to express solidarity and exchange ideas about rejecting men and male-centric structures, the movement becomes not only a form of political resistance but also an assertion of new kinds of relationships that challenge traditional gender dynamics.

Love, Politics, and Geography: How Context Shapes Intimacy

The 4B movement shows that love and relationships are never just personal but are deeply influenced by political, cultural, and historical contexts. What it means to love or be in a relationship is not static—it evolves as political climates shift and as social norms are contested. The 4B movement, whether in South Korea, North Korea, or the U.S., demonstrates how deeply political ideologies can affect how individuals choose to form or avoid relationships, what behaviors they deem acceptable, and how they define their roles in society.

Love, as we understand it, is not only a private experience but is inextricably linked to the political environment of the time. In South Korea, the 4B movement emerged as a reaction to gender inequality and economic marginalization, while in the U.S., it reflects a response to the erosion of women’s rights under a conservative administration. In both cases, love and intimacy have become politicized—shaped by broader ideological movements that reflect the unique social struggles of each time and place.

As social and political movements continue to evolve, we can expect the nature of personal relationships to remain deeply connected to the politics of the time, underscoring the idea that love, like politics, is ever-changing and shaped by history, political situations, and geographical context.