Kim studied history at Ewha Womans University and received her master's and doctorate degrees in Buddhist art history from the graduate school at the Academy of Korean Studies. Kim has served as the president of the Art History Association of Korea, a commissioner at the Cultural Heritage Administration, a commissioner at the National Institute of Korean History, a senior research fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art  in New York, and a committee member at the Seoul Historiography Institute. Currently, the author is a professor of art history at Wonkwang University's humanities college and sits on the cultural properties committees for the Gyeonggi-do, Jeollabuk-do, Incheon, Daejeon, and Seojong local governments. 

Kim's published works include 『Buddhist Paintings, the Majestic World of Buddhist Art (2008)』, 『Ladies of the Court, Keepers of Joseon's History (co-authored, 2014)』, and 『Studies in Cultural Properties (2017)』 among others.