Sōshi-kaimei (創氏改名) was a policy of pressuring Koreans under Japanese rule to adopt Japanese names. It consisted of two parts. Ordinance No. 19, issued in 1939, required sōshi, literally "creation of a family name" (氏 shi); unlike Japan, Korea had not adopted the Western practice of universally using family names (see Bon-gwan (姓 sei)). Ordinance No. 20, issued in 1940, permitted kaimei, change of one's given name; this was voluntary and the applicant was charged a fee. These ordinances, issued by General Jirō Minami, Governor-General of Korea, effectively reversed an earlier government order which forbade Koreans to take up Japanese names. There are various explanations for the purpose of the ordinances.

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