WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― U.S. beef exports to South Korea dropped 24 percent in the first five months of 2012 from a year earlier, but the reduction is not associated with mad cow concerns, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said Sunday.

The U.S. exported 51,128 tons of beef to South Korea from January till May, down 24 percent from 67,638 tons in the same period last year, it said.

South Korea was the third-largest importer, following Canada and Mexico during the five months.

The USMEF stressed that the decrease is mainly attributable to conditions in South Korea such as an oversupply of domestic beef and a slumping Korean currency.

“All things considered, we are pleased with the manner in which beef exports have weathered the most recent BSE case,” USMEF President and CEO Philip Seng said. “With the exception of Saudi Arabia, we have not suffered any significant setbacks in terms of market access. And though we expected consumer interest to slow temporarily in markets such as Korea, the May export results were actually quite strong.”

U.S. beef exports to South Korea recorded a sharp decline from January to March but rebounded in April and May, according to data.

In May, South Korea imported 9,790 tons of American beef, up 5.7 percent from 9,266 tons a year earlier.

U.S. beef imports are traditionally a sensitive issue in South Korea.

In 2003, Seoul banned imports of the product due to worries over mad cow disease. The Lee Myung-bak administration, seeking to advance the FTA process, resumed American beef imports in 2008.