He became a member of the national track and field team in 1979,[3] and first made his mark internationally by winning the gold medal in long jump at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.

However, with his final qualifying jump measuring 7.87 metres, he finished ninth in total, thus making it to the finals—together with fellow Asians Junichi Usui (8.02 m) and Liu Yuhuang (7.83 m).

[2] In 1986, Kim would try to defend his gold medal in the 1986 Asian Games, which was this time staged in Seoul in his home country.

[4] Kim also entered as a part of the South Korean 4 x 100 metres relay team, and eventually won a bronze medal.

[3] In August 1988, Kim achieved his lifetime best result, jumping 8.00 metres in a pre-Olympic meet in Seoul.

His series of 7.36, 7.68 and 7.70 metres placed him sixteenth in total, thus he failed to reach the final round this time.

Among those who failed to reach the final were Chen Zunrong, Junichi Usui (with three fouls) as well as two Canadians who would become 1996 Olympic champions in the relay: Bruny Surin and Glenroy Gilbert.

In the 1997-98 academic year, Kim was employed at Calvin College, where he doubled as professor in the Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Dance and Sport department as well as head coach of the men's track and field team.