Goksan Yeon clan

Goksan Yeon clan (Korean: 곡산 연씨; Hanja: 谷山 延氏) is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Koksan County, North Hwanghae Province. According to the research held in 2015, the number of the Goksan Yeon clan was 33891. Yeon clan originated from Nanyang Commandery (hanja: 南陽郡; around present-day Nanyang, Henan), China. Their founder was Yeon Gye ryeong who served as Menxia Shilang (hanja: 門下侍郎) and general officer in Goryeo. Yeon Gye ryeong was from Hongnong Commandery (hanja: 弘農郡; south of present-day Lingbao City, Henan). Yeon Su chang (Korean: 연수창; Hanja: 延壽菖), 7th descendant of Yeon Gye ryeong became a subordinate of Princess Jeguk who was forced to marry ordinary person by Chungnyeol of Goryeo and was settled in Koksan County. Yeon Ju (Korean: 연주; Hanja: 延柱), 11th descendant of Yeon Gye ryeong, appointed as Household Counsellor (hanja: 光祿大夫) and Sansī Left Messenger (hanja: 三司左使). Then, he founded Goksan Yeon clan because he was appointed as Count of Koksan.[1][2]

The clan gained notoriety for producing several Korean independence activists during the Japanese colonial era. Yeon Byung-hwan (ko), his younger brother Yeon Byung-ho (ko) and daughter Yeon Mi-dang (ko) were associates of more high-profile figures such as Kim Gu and Ahn Changho and aided their anti-Japanese activities.[3]