Yeon Namsan

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Yeon Namsan 淵男産 연남산 (639-701) was the third son of the Goguryeo military leader and dictator Yeon Gaesomun (603?-665).

The course of his career shadowed closely that of his elder brother Yeon Namsaeng. From an early age he was appointed seonin 仙人 (or 先人), and rising through the ranks of sohyeong 小兄, daehyeong 大兄, uidu daehyeong 位頭大兄 and junggun juhwal 中軍主活 (all obscure Goguryeo ranks whose exact nature is unknown) was ultimately named Taedae Mangniji 太大莫離支.

Following his father’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 (Sizai shaoqing 司宰少卿).

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.