Im made his professional debut for Busan I'cons in 1999, playing a number of games in his first two seasons with the club.
However, he saw much less matchplay in 2001 and 2002, and a move to newly formed Daegu FC beckoned.
After Daegu's debut season in the K-League, for 2004, Im moved to current club Incheon United, newly formed for the 2004 K-League season.
Im remains with Incheon into the 2010 season, having played over 200 games in all competitions for the club.
This biographical article related to a South Korean association football defender is a stub.