A negative electrode for a rechargeable lithium battery, the negative electrode comprising: a negative active material layer comprising a carbon-based material having a peak of about 20 degrees to 30 degrees at a plane in an X-ray diffraction pattern using a CuKα ray; and an SEI (solid electrolyte interface) passivation film comprising at least one material selected from an organic material and an inorganic material and having an average thickness of about 10 nm to about 50 nm on the surface of the negative active material layer of the negative electrode, wherein the carbon-based material is soft carbon, and wherein the thickness of the SEI passivation film is as measured in an analyser having an inert chamber and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy equipment by: pretreating the negative electrode in the inert chamber by cutting the electrode into a set or predetermined size to take a specimen having an SEI passivation film, and cleaning the specimen; analyzing the specimen in the first analyser by ion etching with an ion beam to a point at which the resulting component obtained from the ion etching includes 60 atom% of a component derived from the negative active material layer based on the total amount of the resulting components from the ion etching; and determining the thickness of the SEI passivation film as the thickness from said point to the surface of the specimen, wherein the inorganic material comprises at least one selected from LiF, Li 2 O, Li 2 CO 3 and Li x PF y O (0<x≤1, 1≤y≤4) and wherein the organic material comprises at least one selected from ROCO 2 Li (R is a C1 to C10 alkyl group), R 1 (OCO 2 CH 2 CH 2) n Li (R 1 is a C1 to C10 alkyl group, and n is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 25), R 2 (CH 2 CH 2 O) m Li (R 2 is a C1 to C10 alkyl group, and m is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 25), and NR 3 R 4 R 5 (R 3, R 4 and R 5 are C1 to C10 alkyl groups), and the SEI passivation film comprises 30 to 70 wt% of LiF based on the total amount of the SEI passivation film. a negative active material layer comprising a carbon-based material having a peak of about 20 degrees to 30 degrees at a plane in an X-ray diffraction pattern using a CuKα ray; and an SEI (solid electrolyte interface) passivation film comprising at least one material selected from an organic material and an inorganic material and having an average thickness of about 10 nm to about 50 nm on the surface of the negative active material layer of the negative electrode, wherein the carbon-based material is soft carbon, and wherein the thickness of the SEI passivation film is as measured in an analyser having an inert chamber and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy equipment by: pretreating the negative electrode in the inert chamber by cutting the electrode into a set or predetermined size to take a specimen having an SEI passivation film, and cleaning the specimen; analyzing the specimen in the first analyser by ion etching with an ion beam to a point at which the resulting component obtained from the ion etching includes 60 atom% of a component derived from the negative active material layer based on the total amount of the resulting components from the ion etching; and pretreating the negative electrode in the inert chamber by cutting the electrode into a set or predetermined size to take a specimen having an SEI passivation film, and cleaning the specimen; analyzing the specimen in the first analyser by ion etching with an ion beam to a point at which the resulting component obtained from the ion etching includes 60 atom% of a component derived from the negative active material layer based on the total amount of the resulting components from the ion etching; and determining the thickness of the SEI passivation film as the thickness from said point to the surface of the specimen, wherein the inorganic material comprises at least one selected from LiF, Li 2 O, Li 2 CO 3 and Li x PF y O (0<x≤1, 1≤y≤4) and wherein the organic material comprises at least one selected from ROCO 2 Li (R is a C1 to C10 alkyl group), R 1 (OCO 2 CH 2 CH 2) n Li (R 1 is a C1 to C10 alkyl group, and n is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 25), R 2 (CH 2 CH 2 O) m Li (R 2 is a C1 to C10 alkyl group, and m is an integer ranging from about 1 to about 25), and NR 3 R 4 R 5 (R 3, R 4 and R 5 are C1 to C10 alkyl groups), and the SEI passivation film comprises 30 to 70 wt% of LiF based on the total amount of the SEI passivation film.