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| Actor George Takei attends the 2014 Webby Awards in New York ealier this month./AP-Yonhap |
By Kim Young-jin
George Takei is best known for his role in a television series that aired in the 1960s. But the American actor is perhaps more relevant today than ever.
Korea is about to find out why.
Takei, 77, who played USS Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, is in town this week to meet fans and discuss issues he is passionate about. These include gay rights and his experience growing up in a Japanese internment camp.
The visit, on which Takei's husband, Brad Takei, will accompany him, is part of a speaking tour, which the U.S. State Department organized. The tour will also take him to Japan.
Following his Star Trek career, Takei has remained in the public eye, actively advocating for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community as well as the Asian-American community.
Takei, known for his up-front sense of humor, has also become an influential figure on social media, having garnered more than 6 million likes on Facebook. He also regularly appears on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM Radio.
On Monday, Takei will meet fans who took part in a contest that the U.S. Embassy organized. The following day, he will meet students at the Korea Broadcasting Arts Institute.
On Wednesday, the actor will meet lawmakers interested in LGBT issues and hold a talk for the LGBT community at Seoul City hall, before traveling to Daegu for engagements at Keimyung University.
Following a crucial Supreme Court decision last year, advocates for gay marriage in the United States have won a string of court victories to overturn bans on gay marriage.
LGBT people in Korea often report being harshly stigmatized at home and work. Opponents have thwarted efforts to pass anti-discrimination legislation here, demanding that LGBT people be excluded.
Takei has also been active in telling the stories of Asian-American immigrants, particularly those of Japanese descent
During his childhood, Takei and his family were among the thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans forced into internment camps after Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941.
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