Kim Won was born in Pong Yang and graduated from the Tokyo Art School in the Western-style painting division in 1937. He taught painting at Ehwa Womens' University from 1947-51. Kim Won traveled to Europe and the United States in 1967 and visited many museums during this trip. In 1974 he exhibited his work at the "Korean Art, 60 Years" exhibition in Seoul, and he won the Dong Baik Jang Prize for his work in this period. In 1975 he received the Seoul City Cultural prize and the same year became chairman at Hong Ik University of Fine Arts where he remained until 1977. Between 1975 and 1977 he had twelve one-person exhibitions of his paintings in Korea.