NOVELTY - A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery comprises: a core containing lithium titanate compound; and a carbon layer disposed on the core, where the carbon layer comprises low crystalline carbon.    USE - As negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The negative active material has electrical conductivity of less than or equal to 1x 10-8S/cm (preferably 1x 10-8S/cm to 1x 10-5S/cm). The carbon coating layer in the negative active material improves impregnation properties of an electrolyte solution and induces a uniform electrochemical reaction of the electrode, and resultantly it can improve the high-rate characteristics without affecting the active material structure. The moisture amount in the negative active material is decreased from greater than or equal to 3500 ppm before the coating process to less than or equal to 500 ppm after the coating process. Thereby, it is useful for providing a rechargeable lithium battery due to the low moisture amount. Since the negative active material has a carbon coating layer on its surface, it can prevent the problems that the lithium titanate compound (I) easily adsorbs the moisture when being exposed under the air atmosphere. Therefore, it is possible to transport or store the negative active material for a long time, so it can be usefully applied to the industrial field. The pH of the negative active material can be decreased from greater than or equal to 11.5 before the coating process to less than 11.5, e.g. less than 11.4 after the coating process, the amount of remaining lithium compound (lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and lithium hydroxide (LiOH)) on the surface after providing a carbon coating layer on the negative active material is decreased from greater than or equal to 3000 ppm before the coating process to less than or equal to 300 ppm after the coating process. Accordingly, it can suppress the side reaction caused by the lithium compound remaining on the surface when providing the conventional negative active material.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery comprises: a core containing lithium titanate compound of formula LixTiyOz (I); and a carbon layer disposed on the core, where the carbon layer comprises low crystalline carbon.    x=0.1-4;    y=1-5;and    z=2-12.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a rechargeable lithium battery comprising a negative electrode containing the negative active material; a positive electrode containing a positive active material; and a non-aqueous electrolyte.