She gained recognition through her roles in television series The Heirs (2013) and Descendants of the Sun (2016), before taking on leading roles in Fight for My Way (2017), Arthdal Chronicles (2019), Lovestruck in the City (2020–2021), My Liberation Notes (2022), and Queen of Tears (2024), notably working with several prominent writers dubbed as the "Four Great Kings" in the field, contributing to her prominence as a Hallyu figure.

[17] In 2013, Kim starred as one of the lead roles in the KBS Drama special Waiting for Love, about how four different youths with different views towards love start seeing each other,[18][19] as well as the film Horror Stories 2, the sequel to the previous Horror Stories film, playing a student obsessed with black magic.

[29] The drama was a pan-Asia hit with ratings peaking at 38.8% and winning the Grand Prize in television at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards as well being declared the Most Popular Show of the year by Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation.

[36] In 2017, Kim was cast in her first leading role in KBS2's romance comedy drama, Fight for My Way, alongside Park Seo-joon; as a department store information desk employee who dreams of becoming an announcer.

[37][38] The series was noted for its realistic portrayal of struggling youths, friendship, and love, and closed with ratings of 13.8%, solidifying Kim's status as a leading actress.

[43] In 2019, Kim played the role of Tanya, who is the head of the Wahan tribe and Song Joong-ki's love interest in the historical fantasy drama Arthdal Chronicles.

[57][58] In April 2022, she starred in the television series My Liberation Notes, where she played an introverted employee struggling to escape from her monotonous life.

[68] Kim received attention for her clear and precise pronunciation after starring in The Heirs, with some media outlets describing her as a "Diction Fairy".

[69] Kim's aegyo scene in Fight for My Way attracted significant attention on social media and inspired a dubbing challenge.

[73][74] On February 8, 2025, Kim was selected as the ambassador for Orange Run 2025, a charity marathon festival held in collaboration with the Korea Welfare Service and Hanwha General Insurance to celebrate International Women's Day.

[78] In July 2016, she was announced as the endorser for KT Corporation's Giga IoT Health service, starring in South Korea's first TV commercial using 360-degree VR technology.

[80] Other brands she has been announced as an endorser for include Shinhan Card,[81] J.Estina [ko],[82] Kia Motors,[83] HiteJinro,[84] KGC,[85] CKD Pharm,[86] and Hanwa Insurance.

[90] In July 2024, she was named a global ambassador for LG Household & Health Care's luxury cosmetic brand, The Whoo.

[95] In February 2020, she donated ₩20 million to World Share, an international relief and development NGO, to support medical staff and patients at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu during the COVID-19 pandemic.

She stated, "I learned that it was a magazine that helped the housing vulnerable become independent," and expressed her desire to participate after meeting one of its vendors.