Yeon Namsan

Who was Yeon Namsan?

Yeon Namsan was the third son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun.

The course of his career shadowed closely that of his elder brother Yeon Namsaeng. From an early age he was appointed Seonin, and rising through the ranks of sohyeong, daehyeong uidu daehyeong and junggun juhwal

Following Yeon Gaesomun's death around 666 Namsan joined forces with his elder brother Yeon Namgeon against their oldest brother Namsaeng, whose ultimately fled to Tang China to seek its aid. However, upon the fall of Goguryeo in 668 Namsan submitted to Tang. In Tang Namsan was accorded the office of Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments.

Following his death from illness he was buried along with his eldest brother in Luoyang. His tomb stele was later discovered in the Tang eastern capital of Luoyang, along with that of Namsaeng.