cian ▁b ureau c racy ▁as ▁cod ified ▁by ▁G ye ong gu k ▁da e je on , ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁Jose on ▁constitution . ▁ ▁King ▁ ▁The ▁king ▁had ▁absolute ▁authority , ▁but ▁his ▁actual ▁power ▁varied ▁with ▁political ▁circumstances . ▁He ▁was ▁bound ▁by ▁tradition , ▁preced ents ▁set ▁by ▁earlier ▁k ings , ▁G ye ong gu k ▁da e je on , ▁and ▁Conf u cian ▁teach ings . ▁The ▁king ▁commanded ▁absolute ▁loyal ty ▁from ▁his ▁officials ▁and ▁subjects , ▁but ▁the ▁officials ▁were ▁also ▁expected ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁king ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁path ▁if ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁mistaken . ▁The ▁natural ▁dis aster s ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁king ' s ▁fail ings , ▁and ▁therefore , ▁Jose on ▁k ings ▁were ▁very ▁sensitive ▁to ▁their ▁occurr ences . ▁When ▁there ▁was ▁severe ▁dr ought ▁or ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁dis aster s , ▁the ▁king ▁often ▁formally ▁sought ▁criticism ▁from ▁both ▁the ▁officials ▁and ▁citiz en ry , ▁and ▁whatever ▁they ▁said ▁or ▁wrote ▁were ▁protected ▁from ▁pro sec ution ▁in ▁such ▁cases ▁( although ▁there ▁were ▁few ▁exceptions ). ▁ ▁Direct ▁communication ▁between ▁the ▁king ▁and ▁the ▁common ▁people ▁was ▁possible ▁through ▁the ▁s ange on ▁() ▁written ▁pet ition ▁system ▁and ▁the ▁g ye ok ja eng ▁() ▁or al ▁pet ition ▁system . ▁Through ▁the ▁g ye ok ja eng ▁or al ▁pet ition ▁system , ▁common ers ▁could ▁strike ▁a ▁g ong ▁or ▁drum