Immersive 'Solo Leveling' exhibition to open in Seoul in November
Step into a dungeon, shout “Arise,” and watch a legion of soldiers come to life before your eyes.
That’s the promise of the upcoming “Solo Leveling” exhibition, opening Nov. 22 at DUEX Hongdae in Seoul, where fans don’t just view the megahit franchise’s fictional universe, they level up inside it.
Running through March 1, 2026, the immersive exhibition will cast visitors as novice hunters fresh from training, exhibition organizer Waysbe said. After a welcome from the fictional Korea Hunter Association, attendees navigate faithfully recreated locations from the series: the Cartenon Temple, a dungeon beneath Hongdae Station in Seoul’s university district, and a raid site on Jeju Island.
The main attraction is an interactive “shadow extraction” experience based on protagonist Sung Jin-woo’s signature ability. Visitors voice the command “Arise” to trigger shadow summons — a fan-favorite moment brought to physical reality. The exhibition also features life-sized figures of characters including knight commander Igris and the Ant King, panoramic battle videos from the raid, and displays of weaponry used by Jin-woo in both his weakest and strongest forms, according to the organizer.
Attendees receive personalized hunter licenses bearing their names. The venue will include a “Hunter Auction” selling limited merchandise, a themed hunter cafe, and a four-cut photo booth.
“Solo Leveling” originated as a web novel by Chugong in 2016 before becoming a webtoon in 2018 illustrated by Jang Sung-rak (Dubu), who passed away in 2022. The series has since become a global phenomenon, its web novel and webtoon adaptations accumulating 14.3 billion views worldwide. Its story follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains a mysterious system allowing him to level up infinitely.
In 2024, the franchise expanded into a mobile game that attracted 50 million players in five months, and an anime adaptation by A-1 Pictures that swept nine categories at the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, including Anime of the Year. The anime became Crunchyroll’s most-watched series and reached Netflix’s weekly top 10 in 11 countries.
In July, Netflix confirmed a live-action Korean drama adaptation with actor Byeon Woo-seok cast as Jin-woo. The series will be co-directed by Lee Hae-jun and Kim Byung-seo, known for films including “Ashfall” and “Cold Eyes,” with production by Kakao Entertainment and Sanai Pctures.
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