Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful actresses,[4][5] she is best known for her roles in television series such as Stairway to Heaven (2003–2004), Love Story in Harvard (2004–2005), Iris (2009), My Princess (2011), Yong-pal (2015), and Hi Bye, Mama!

Kim appeared in television commercials and print ads, before making her acting debut with a small role in the 2001 melodrama Last Present.

Kim rose to stardom in 2003 via her portrayal of the evil stepsister in the popular SBS TV series Stairway to Heaven.

Riding the big success of Stairway to Heaven and Love Story in Harvard, Kim became one of the most sought-after faces in the TV commercial industry.

[23] However, Kim expressed her desire to be valued properly as an actor, preferring to succeed based on her acting skills rather than her image.

Kim then turned to film, starring in action fantasy epic The Restless (2006),[24][25] and the romantic comedy Venus and Mars (2007).

[34] After the success of Iris, she again drew positive reviews in the romantic comedy series My Princess (2011); Kim played an ordinary college student who discovers that she is Korean royalty.

[38] Kim later encountered backlash from some Japanese netizens for allegedly promoting South Korea's claim in the Liancourt Rocks dispute during her 2005 trip to Switzerland as a goodwill ambassador.

[48][49] In May 2022, Kim donated 200 million won through Hope Bridge National Disaster Mitigation Association to help neighbors affected by the Uljin forest fire 2022, which devastated the area and then spread to Samcheok, Gangwon Province, South Korea.