Kim received significant international attention at the 1988 Summer Olympics where he won the bronze medal in the freestyle 90 kg class.

Kim won two consecutive gold medals in the freestyle wrestling 100 kg class at the Asian Games (1990 and 1994).

Kim officially retired from competitive wrestling after the 1996 Summer Olympics and began his coach career.

He was named the head coach of the South Korean national freestyle wrestling team for the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2002 Asian Games.

This biographical article relating to a South Korean sport wrestler or wrestling coach is a stub.