[citation needed] He began in the newly formed KBO as the pitching coach of the OB Bears from 1982 to 1983.

[citation needed] Kim then moved on to the Pacific Dolphins in 1989-1990, where he won his first playoff series in the 1989 season.

Elevated to Twins manager in 2002, Kim took the team to his first Korean Series, where they eventually lost to Samsung four-games-to-two.

Kim returned to Japan in 2005–2006 as a coach for Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines.

[6] His stint as the Eagles manager did not yield much success — he was fired by the team in May 2017, 43 games into the 2017 season, with a record of 18 wins and 25 losses.