From skater to slayer: Cha Jun-hwan ups his skills in 'Solo Leveling on Ice'

For years, Cha Jun-hwan has captivated audiences with his graceful skating and creative routines. This summer, however, he hopes to win them over with something new — acting, singing and even swordfighting on the ice.

On July 22, Cha was immersed in rehearsals for “Solo Leveling on Ice,” an action musical fully performed on skates, at the Zenith Ice Rink in Guro District, western Seoul.

He is playing the lead, hunter Sung Jin-woo, in the production slated to run from Aug. 7 to 17 at Mokdong Ice Rink in Yangcheon District, western Seoul.

The production is based on the hit webtoon “Solo Leveling” (2018-23), which has amassed 14.3 billion cumulative views.

Set in a universe where monsters emerge from mysterious gates and hunters fight to protect the world, the series follows Sung Jin-woo, once the weakest hunter in the already lowly E rank. However, Jin-woo gains extraordinary powers after a near-death experience and then becomes one of the universe's strongest hunters as he levels up.

The show is returning for a second run after premiering late last year.

“It is an honor to be part of a production that I really enjoyed when it premiered last year,” Cha said.

“Unlike gala-style ice shows, where skaters perform their own individual programs, this production follows the original webtoon's compelling characters and storyline, allowing me to portray Jin-woo's growth and relationships. That's what sets it apart from other ice shows.”

Cha is Korea's most accomplished men's figure skater. He became the first Korean man to win gold at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in 2022 and the first to medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships with silver in 2023. Earlier this year, he finished No. 4 in the men's singles at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February, the best Olympic result ever by a Korean man.

Despite his accomplishments, however, performing in a musical ice show is proving to be quite demanding, as Cha not only has to skate but also sing and act at the same time.

“There are scenes where I deliver lines and sing [by] myself, while in others another performer sings so I can focus entirely on the skating,” Cha said. “Both the dialogue and singing are a huge challenge for me.”

He added that the production has also required him to learn new performance skills.

“There are many sword-fighting scenes because of the character, and it's my first time skating around the rink while holding a sword,” he said. “I've been practicing a lot and thinking carefully about how to portray him.”

Cha also contributed to the show's skating choreography.

“I personally enjoy the creative process,” he said. “Creating choreography for an ice musical was new to me, so it wasn't always easy. To bring the characters to life, I tried to immerse myself not only in my own role but also in the other characters.”

Choreographer Kim Hae-jin, a former national team figure skater who worked with Cha on the production, said they spent months preparing together.

“We had numerous meetings and video calls before rehearsals,” Kim said. “Jun-hwan had a deep understanding of the character and contributed many ideas during the creative process.”

Kim added that Cha's input broadened the choreography.

“When working alone, it's easy to become fixated on one approach, but Jun-hwan's ideas helped expand the creative possibilities.”

The production also features former national team figure skaters Kim Ye-lim, Lee Si-hyeong and Kyeong Jae-seok.

Cha also pledged that if all performances sell out, the cast will take part in an ice bucket challenge on the rink to support people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

BY HA NAM-HYUN [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]