Yeon Namsaeng (연남생, 淵男生) (634–679) was the eldest son of the

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

'' Dae Magniji'' (대막리지, 大莫離支; highest ranking official or dictator; "prime minister") Yeon Gaesomun (603?-665). In 665, Yeon Namsaeng succeeded his father and became the 2nd Dae Magniji of

Dae Magniji

Yeon Namsaeng was said to have become Dae Magniji sometime before the death of Yeon Gaesomun, who is said to have stepped down from the position and took the honorary position of ''Dae Magniji''. After the death of his father, Yeon Namsaeng prepared for war with the

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...

, and set out on an inspection of the border fortresses in

Yodong The Liaodong Peninsula (also Liaotung Peninsula, ) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located between the mouths of the Daliao River (the h ...

, and other fortresses throughout the kingdom. He left his brothers, Yeon Namgeon and

Yeon Namsan 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 wa ...

, in charge of Pyeongyang before he left. Namgeon and Namsan took advantage of their brother's absence and took control of Pyeongyang and the Royal Courts. They falsely accused Namsaeng of being a traitor, and forced the King Bojang to order Namsaeng's arrest. With nowhere else to go, Namsaeng fled to Tang China at the urge of his son, who had escaped death at the hands of his uncles. Namsaeng fled to the Tang, and received a high position in the Tang military.

Fall of Goguryeo and death

From there he helped lead a Tang-sponsored military campaign into Goguryeo with hopes of regaining power. This campaign ultimately destroyed Goguryeo in 668. He died in the domains of the Tang-established

Protectorate General to Pacify the East The Protectorate-General to Pacify the East () was an administrative division of the Chinese Tang dynasty in Manchuria and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. It was established after the Tang dynasty defeated Goguryeo and annexed its ter ...

, or Andong Duhufu (安東都護府), the Chinese administration established in

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

following the fall of Goguryeo in 668 and meant to administer the former Goguryeo domains. Namsaeng was buried on Mt. Mang in

Luoyang Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyan ...

, Tang’s eastern capital. Namsaeng's tomb stele, along with that of his brother Namgeon, has been discovered. Namsaeng's biography (Quan Nan Sheng 泉男生傳) appears in the ''Xin Tangshu'' (New History of Tang), book 110. The Chinese rendering of Namsaeng’s family name is Cheon (泉, Chinese Quan) rather than Yeon (淵), because Yeon (Chinese, Yuan) was the given name of

Emperor Gaozu of Tang Emperor Gaozu of Tang (7 April 566 – 25 June 635, born Li Yuan, courtesy name Shude) was the founding emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 618 to 626. Under the Sui dynasty, Li Yuan was the governor in the area of modern-day ...

(Li Yuan 李淵), founder and first emperor of Tang, and

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

to apply to another by Chinese tradition.

In popular culture

* Portrayed by

Im Ho Im Ho (; born January 27, 1970) is a South Korean actor, best known for his roles mostly as an emperor in historical dramas. His notable roles were included in the television series ''Jang Hui-bin'' (1995) and ''Dae Jang Geum'' (2003). Personal ...

in the 2006-2007 KBS TV series '' Dae Jo Yeong''. * Portrayed by Ahn Jae-mo in 2006-2007 SBS TV series '' Yeon Gaesomun''. * Portrayed by

No Min-woo No Min-woo (; born May 29, 1986) is a South Korean actor, musician, singer and songwriter. He is also known under the stage names ICON and MINUE. He debuted as a drummer in TRAX in 2004, and left the band two years later. In 2008, he began act ...

in the 2013

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...

TV series '' The Blade and Petal''.

References

Sources

Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...

Old Book of Tang The ''Old Book of Tang'', or simply the ''Book of Tang'', is the first classic historical work about the Tang dynasty, comprising 200 chapters, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories. Originally compiled during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingd ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yeon, Namsaeng 634 births 679 deaths Goguryeo people Military history of Korea Tang dynasty generals at war against Goguryeo 7th-century heads of government 7th-century Korean people

Dae Magniji

Fall of Goguryeo and death

In popular culture

See also

References

Sources