Cha Jun-hwan leads ice musical Solo Leveling at Seoul Mokdong, Aug 7–17

Cha Jun-hwan is taking on Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling on Ice, running August 7–17 at Seoul Mokdong Ice Rink. Twelve performances total.

The production adapts the first 45 episodes of the 175-episode webtoon Solo Leveling, which has racked up 14.3 billion views. The cast includes Kim Ye-rim as S-rank hunter Cha Hae-in, Lee Si-hyung as shadow knight Igrit, and Amy—a former figure skater turned YouTuber—as Lee Ju-hee, Sung Jinwoo's only ally during his E-rank days.

Cha Jun-hwan said this format feels different from the gala shows he knows. "Most showed figure skaters' programs," he said. "This time, it's a stage that shows the protagonist's growth narrative like a drama. Like a musical actor, I sing and deliver lines myself."

Skating choreographer Kim Hae-jin worked directly with Cha Jun-hwan on the movement. The team shifted focus from last year's December run, which emphasized the beauty of figure skating. This year's production drills into story-matched choreography and brought out "masculine strength" in the lead character, per Kim.

Director Woo Jin-ha is leaning into spectacle. Real fire for special effects—a recurring element in the source material—and wire-assisted aerial sequences. Woo hopes the show can serve as a launchpad for dramatic ice productions in Korea, a format he sees as underrepresented. "There aren't many dramatic ice shows like this in Korea yet," he noted.

A rehearsal was held July 22 at Genius Ice Rink in Guro-gu, Seoul.