After the 2008 season, Kim temporarily left the Bears to serve a two-year military service. During that period, he continued to play baseball in the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps Baseball Team.
In 2011, Kim was discharged from the military duty and joined the Doosan Bears again. However, he continued to serve as a backup designated hitter, appearing in only 30 games.
He hit his stride in 2016, hitting .325 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI. He repeated his success in 2017, hitting .340 with 35 homers and 115 RBI. In 2018 he won the KBO League Most Valuable Player Award, hitting .334 with 44 home runs and 133, leading the league in both the latter categories.