설송 정광현의 『성씨논고』에 나타난 법사상과 창씨개명

A Study on the Legal Thoughts of Jeong Gwang-Hyeon under the Japanese Colonial Policy to change Korean Name

The first book of Jeong Gwang-Hyeon(정광현: 1902～1980), who has been called the father of Korean Family Law in no doubt, was released right after the implementation of the Japanese Changssigaemyeong(창씨개명) policy of changing Korean family names to Japanese ones. Therefore it would be served as the materials for looking back on the attitude of the scholar on the social situation of the colonial times. 1940s were the times when Japan emphasized the Naeseon’ilche(내선일체) policy of uniting Japan and Korea together to acquire the stability needed for engaging war, which resulted in the policy of changing Korean names. At that time Jeong was in the very difficult situation. One year didn’t pass after he was suspended from the charge of ideological matters related to anti-Naeseon’ilche and communism. He had written up the pledge of ideological conversion and had been under the probation. Seongssinon’go(姓氏論考: A study on the clan and family name) is the masterpiece which came from the writer’s urgent calling despite his hard position. His desperate state of mind is read in the book, that he is eager to preserve Korean’s own tradition as ever under the Changssigaemyeong policy. It looks like somewhat of a resistance. ① Jeong’s historical consciousness owing to his research of the Korean legal tradition, ② his spirit against the Naeseon’ilche, and ③ his scholastic sense on calling might make all the works possible.