Kim made his acting debut in 1995, as a member of the theatre troupe Constellation (Korean: 성좌).

Miss Mermaid screenwriter Im Sung-han cast him again in her next drama, Lotus Flower Fairy (also known as Heaven's Fate, 2004).

[17] Due to the conservatism of Korean network television, he has so far appeared solely in cable dramas, including Can't Stand Anymore (2013),[18] and The Three Musketeers (2014) for which he trained in martial arts, horseback riding and the Manchu language for his role as a Qing dynasty general.

During police questioning, Kim claimed that he only used the drug once, and that his relapse had been caused by troubles in his marriage and a slump in his acting career.

[24] On 24 June 2016, Kim Sung Min's wife called police to check on her husband, saying that he had threatened to kill himself following an argument.

[27] The diagnosis was confirmed at 10:15 AM KST, and Kim Sung Min's family agreed to donate his organs.