Kim began his studies at Keijō Imperial University, the precursor of Seoul National University (SNU), during the Japanese colonization of Korea (1905 - 1945), and graduated from there with a bachelor's degree in 1945. He wrote his PhD thesis on Silla ceramics, and after receiving his New York University (NYU) PhD, Kim returned to South Korea. He started as a professor at SNU in 1961 and began a long and influential career there, with the exception of 1970-1971 when he served as the director of the National Museum of Korea.
Kim started his studies at Keijō Imperial University, which later became Seoul National University (SNU), during Japan's occupation of Korea (1905 - 1945). He earned a bachelor's degree from SNU in 1945 and wrote his PhD thesis on Silla ceramics. After obtaining his PhD from New York University (NYU), Kim returned to South Korea, where he began teaching at SNU as an associate professor in 1961. His career there was marked by influence until 1970-1971 when he served as the director of the National Museum of Korea.