My only experience with Kim Chi was when I had a next door neighbor who was Korean. She made Kim Chi. I didn't know this. One day I was working in my yard and I smelled a strong odor like a gas leak. I traced it to between our houses. It seemed to be coming from her house. I knocked on her door and told her of the odor, so we both went back to between our houses and she got very concerned. We called the gas company and they sent out an emergency crew with sensors and meters and stuff. They traced the odor to here backyard where she had a pot of Kin Chi fermenting in the ground.
I think the stuff will last a while without refrigeration but I'm sure it will last much longer refrigerated.