In the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships she placed first in the short program with a score of 69.97 points after completing a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple flip and a double axel, taking the lead over Carolina Kostner from Italy by 3.11 points. She also won the free skate after executing a clean long program and earning 148.34 points. She was the only skater of the competition to get tens in her program components. Totaling 218.31 points overall Kim claimed her second world title, surpassing the rest of the competitors by 20.42 points which was the largest difference between Gold and silver in the nine years the ISU Judging System had been used.