As the Vatican's missionary news service "Fides" reported on Wednesday, Kim may now be referred to and venerated as a "servant of God" following a decision by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Proof of a miracle performed through the intercession of the deceased is still required for canonisation.
Kim headed South Korea's capital city archdiocese of Seoul from 1968 to 1998 and was also a formative figure in the political life of his country. His contribution to the democracy movement during the South Korean military dictatorship (1979-1987) and to the promotion of human rights was recognised far beyond the Catholic Church.
In the final months of the dictatorship, Seoul Cathedral became a meeting place for demonstrators against the dictatorship and offered asylum to opposition activists.
Even after the peaceful transfer of power in 1988, Kim campaigned for the protection of human rights in South Korea.