There are two documents which are the artifacts of collective actions undertaken by independent intellectuals of the Joseon period (1392-1910), to influence reforms in important state affairs toward ethical politics prescribed by Confucian ideology.
10,094 like-minded individuals signed the Ten Thousand People’s Petition for the Posthumous Enthronement of Crown Prince Sado, dated 1855, and the Ten Thousand People’s Petition against Dress Reform, dated 1884, bore the signatures of 8,849 persons. These two documents are early examples of a democratic process involving thousands of people and of the practical application of Confucian ethics to the sphere of government. In addition, they are the only surviving examples from seven mass campaigns of collective public action undertaken by Confucian intellectuals between the late 18th century and the early 19th century during the Joseon Dynasty.