Kim Mi-sook first forayed into acting in 1979 and has since appeared in a long list of television dramas and movies. She gained acting recognitions for many of these projects. In 1991, she received a Top Excellence Award at the KBS Drama Awards for the series Women’s Time. In 2001, she won an Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards for the romantic melodrama Outing. In 2005, she starred in the movie Marathon, which was based on the true story of an autistic marathon runner. The film took home the Daesang at the 41st Baeksang Arts Awards. Kim Mi-sook also scored several Best Actress nominations for her work in the movie. Also in 2005, she picked up a Top Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards for her performance in Queen’s Conditions. In 2007, she appeared in the SBS drama Lobbyist, in which she was named Best Supporting Actress at the SBS Drama Awards. In 2009, she bagged a Top Excellence Award at the SBS Drama Awards for hit series Brilliant Legacy. In 2013, she headlined the SBS short crime drama Case Number 113, which earned her a Special Acting Award at the SBS Drama Awards.


Aside from acting, Kim Mi-sook also hosted several radio programs and released a number of spoken word albums.


Kim Mi-sook tied the knot in 1998. She and her husband have two children. In 2007, the police arrested a woman who has been stalking Kim Mi-sook for 17 years. The female stalker also tried to extort money from the actress.