창씨개명과 관련된 그간의 선행연구들은 조선민족이라는 단위와 차원에서, 그리고 조선인사회라는 사회적인 관점과 국내적인 시각으로, 또한 대부분의 조선인은 일제와 친일파에 의한 수동적 피해자라는 좌표에서, 주로 연구되고 분석되는 경우가 많았다. 그러나 이 연구는 정치적인 시각과 정책적인 관점에서, 일제의‘전시동원 통치시기’의 국가통합정책 중 하나로 나타난 창씨개명정책을 정책사례로서 제시하여 그 구성요소의 내용과 정치적 상호작용 및 과정과 결과에 대한 새로운 논의의 틀과 방향을 모색하는 것이다.특히 이 연구에서는, 1919년의 3.1독립운동이 일제의‘무단철권통치’에서‘점진적 동화통치’로‘정책수단의 대체’를 유도케 한‘정책변동 유도 성공사례’였던 것과 마찬가지로, 1938년과 1939년‘중일전쟁 동원시기’ 에 있어서 국내에 거주하던 조선민족 지도층의 절대불응 의지와 타협적 역량이 일본 정부의‘폐성(廢姓)창씨’정책을‘창씨개명’정책으로 전환시킨 또다른‘정책변동 유도 성공사례’로 분석되었다.

The primary and ultimate goal of the Assimilation Policy under the Japan’s Wartime Empire during the period from 1937 to 1945 was to make Korean people “true Japanese” not only in deed but in “spirit.” Wartime Japan required human resources. The assimilation policy, therefore, devoted to Japan’s war effort. As a result, Japanization and war mobilization in Korea were interwoven and mutually supporting. On November 10, 1939, the Japanese Colonial Government in Korea proclaimed a set of revised regulations concerning household registration that made it legally possible for colonial subjects to replace their original names with Japanese ones. This name-changing campaign as the heart of the assimilation policy started from February 11, 1940 by nature mandatory in Korea, but not mandatory in Taiwan. This study is to review the strategy and process of the Japanese Colonial Government to implement this name-changing program in Korea. And also, it is to find the characteristics of the response of Koreans and strategic behavior of their leading groups in non-compliance with the strategic goals and harsher means of the program. As a result, the name-changing campaign in Korea was achieved the performance at the statistical level, but failed policy outcome by the strategic resistance and non-compliance and wisdom of Korean people.

The primary and ultimate goal of the Assimilation Policy under the Japan’s Wartime Empire during the period from 1937 to 1945 was to make Korean people “true Japanese” not only in deed but in “spirit.” Wartime Japan required human resources. The assimilation policy, therefore, devoted to Japan’s war effort. As a result, Japanization and war mobilization in Korea were interwoven and mutually supporting. On November 10, 1939, the Japanese Colonial Government in Korea proclaimed a set of revised regulations concerning household registration that made it legally possible for colonial subjects to replace their original names with Japanese ones. This name-changing campaign as the heart of the assimilation policy started from February 11, 1940 by nature mandatory in Korea, but not mandatory in Taiwan. This study is to review the strategy and process of the Japanese Colonial Government to implement this name-changing program in Korea. And also, it is to find the characteristics of the response of Koreans and strategic behavior of their leading groups in non-compliance with the strategic goals and harsher means of the program. As a result, the name-changing campaign in Korea was achieved the performance at the statistical level, but failed policy outcome by the strategic resistance and non-compliance and wisdom of Korean people.

Name-ChangingProgram, Japanese Colonial Government, Assimilation Policy, Compliance Behavior, Policy Implementation.