In 1952, during the Korean War, he withdrew from the school and went abroad to Japan where he studied modern architecture at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.

His representative works include "SPACE Group building" (공간 사옥, 1978), "Masan Yangdeok Catholic Church" (마산양덕성당 1979), "Jinju National Museum" (진주국립박물관 1986) and "Olympic Main Stadium" (올림픽 경기장 1987), which feature his characteristic view of architecture as well as Korean traditional elements.

[3] Kim commenced publishing the monthly SPACE (월간 공간) in 1966, the first general art journal of South Korea which contributes to recording and distributing Korean culture.

The architect Min Hyun Sik said Kim Swoo Geun lived with the consciousness of how to effectively convey and adapt Korean tradition into contemporary architecture.

His achievement as an educator was in mentoring Kim Won, Ryu Chun-su, Min Hyun Sik, Lee Jong-ho, Seung Hyo-sang into being prominent architects, regarded as significant as well.