On 10 July 2012, his agents confirmed that his club Cerezo Osaka, had entered talks with Welsh Championship side Cardiff City over a possible transfer. On 12 July, Cardiff City and Cerezo Osaka agreed to a fee believed to be around £2.5 million. The deal was completed on 27 July, when Kim signed a three-year deal. He made his debut on 18 September in a 2–0 win over Millwall coming on for Craig Noone. Kim's first start for Cardiff came against Burnley in a 4–0 win at Cardiff City Stadium on 27 October. Kim scored his first goal for Cardiff in their 4–1 victory over Blackburn Rovers on 7 December. His second was the opening goal at Blackpool in a 2–1 victory for Cardiff on 19 January.
