Yeon Namgeon

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Yeon Namgeon 淵男建 연남건 (dates unknown) was the second son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun (Unknown-665).

Following the death of his father, Namgeon became embroiled in a power struggle with his elder brother Yeon Namsaeng. Namgeon appointed himself Dae Mangniji and ultimately seized control of the government.

During Tang’s subsequent invasion of 668, Namgeon led armed resistance to the Chinese forces near the Amnok River and continued to resist the Tang forces all the way to P’yongyang. With Goguryeo’s defeat, Namgeon found himself a prisoner of war and was transported to China and ultimately banished to Qianzhou 黔州, in what is today China’s Sichuan province, where he apparently died. The tomb steles of Namgeon's siblings Namsaeng and Namsan are extant but offer no particulars regarding the life of Namgeon. Had Namgeon and his brothers united to work together, Goguryeo would have lasted for much longer period of time, but Silla sent their spies into the brothers' inner circle of advisors to try and make a void between the brothers.