Acting in Response to Needs: A Discussion on Zhang Shicheng’s Interactions with Goryeo at the End of the Yuan Dynasty

The interaction between Zhang Shicheng and Goryeo was an important component of Sino-Korean relations at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Based on the strategic geographical location and driven by the dual needs of economic trade and possible military assistance, Zhang Shicheng established relations with Goryeo. However, after the military threat was eliminated on his side and dual needs diminished their relationship gradually became estranged. Later, Zhang Shicheng cut off contact with Goryeo under the pressure of Zhu Yuanzhang and the changing gaze of Goryeo. Overall, the relationship between Zhang Shicheng and Goryeo fluctuated with the changes in the situation in the Central Plains under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and the international situation in East Asia at that time. These changes led to the rise and fall of their respective strengths, which in turn caused an imbalance in their needs. Ultimately, the relationship between the two sides gradually grew distant until it was severed. The interaction between the two sides reveals the pattern of external communication among the Central Plains warlords at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, to provide reference for further research on the complex Sino-Korean relations at the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty.