Having studied political science and journalism at Konkuk University, Kim worked as a journalist in the United States, writing for the "Hankook Ilbo" and the "JoongAng Ilbo". He became active in the National Congress for New Politics in 1996, and remained a member of the main liberal party under its various names until 2016. He served as Minister of Culture and Tourism from 2000 to 2001, undertaking a highly publicized trip to North Korea on 10 March 2001, ostensibly to discuss tourism and culture arrangements. Subsequent to his trip, Kim announced an agreement to form a joint North–South team to compete in the 2001 World Table Tennis Championships, but North Korea rejected the arrangement later in March, citing "incomplete agreement and preparation problems".