Kim is a former Korea Republic international who appeared in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and helped the Taegeuk Warriors finish third in the AFC Asian Cup™ in 2000 and 2007.

After hanging up his boots, Kim ventured into coaching and was assistant coach for seven years at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC before assuming the head coach position in December 2020.

As head coach, Kim led Jeonbuk to the K League 1 title in 2021 after edging out Ulsan Hyundai FC by just two points then took his side all the way in the 2022 FA Cup, beating FC Seoul 5-3 on aggregate in the final.

Kim’s first task as Vietnam head coach will be to take charge of the remaining matches in the Asian Qualifiers with the Golden Star Warriors to play Philippines at home (June 6) and Iraq away (June 11), followed by the 2024 AFF Championship scheduled to start in late November.