Dr. Kim was born and raised in South Korea until he was nine years old. He is still fluent in Korean. He grew up in Orlando, FL and attended Winter Park High School where he played varsity football and graduated class valedictorian. He attended Yale University and graduated with a bachelors in science and a masters in science in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry in only four years. He graduated from Harvard Medical School with scholarships from the prestigious Harvard-MIT Health Science and Technology program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute research scholars program. He completed his orthopaedic residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedics Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess and Boston Children's Hospital. He completed his spine fellowship at one of the most sought after spine fellowships under the tutelage of Dr. Lawrence Lenke, Keith Bridwell and Dan Riew at Washington University in St Louis prior to moving to Los Angeles and starting practice. After 4+ years in practice, Dr. Kim was highly recruited by Cedars Sinai Medical Center as their first full time academic faculty spine surgeon in the Department of Orthopaedics. Dr. Kim is a highly educated and trained board certified orthopaedic spine surgeon who has trained with the most recognized spinal deformity and cervical spine surgeons in the world. He is known to be a compassionate spine surgeon who has an uncanny ability to explain the patient's conditions in simple language so that patients can understand. His surgical prowess in minimally invasive surgical techniques as well as major deformity spinal surgeries are recognized by his peers in the spine community. He makes a very conscientious effort to put the patient's best interest as his number one priority. He is intimately involved in all aspect of his patients care and ensures that every patient gets his full attention for the management of their spinal condition.