He is primarily known for his research on a proposed mechanism for acupuncture that was not accepted by the mainstream medical community,[1] the primo-vascular system.

[2] While working as director of North Korea's Kyung-Rak institute (KRI) from 1962 to 1965, Kim published five articles in the Journal of Jo Sun Medicine, about acupuncture, the Kyungrak system, and the "Sanal" theory.

These articles form the basis of the proposed primo-vascular system, which attracted some interest as late as in the early 2010s.

[4][9] The North Korean government supported Kim's research by supplying his team with various analytical instruments such as microscopes and radioactive tracers, most of which were imported from Eastern Europe.

[10] Kim's book On the Kyungrak system was originally simultaneously published in Korean and Chinese languages in 1963.