Nam Yun Kim's international career as a soloist began after her studies in Seoul and New York under Felix Galamir and Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School and following top awards at numerous music competitions in Europe (e.g. Tibor Varga/Switzerland) and the USA (Washington, New York, Los Angeles).

She has performed with major orchestras in Asia (for example, the Seoul City Philharmonia, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the KBS Orchestra) and Europe (the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra) and has given solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the JFK Center for the Performing Arts/Washington D.C. She has recorded all of the Mozart violin concertos with the Zagreb Chamber Orchestra.

Nam Yun Kim is also devoted to teaching, as a professor at the Korean National University of Arts, giving master classes (Yale University, Manhattan School, Keshet Eilon, Beijing Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory) and serving on the juries of competitions in Taiwan, Singapore, Brussels, Genoa, Helsinki, Cologne and Tokyo. In recognition of her achievements both in Korea and abroad, she has received the Nan-Pa Music Award and the OK-Kwan Medal from the Korean government.