Korea ranked first on the list of countries by U.S. beef consumption per capita last year, amid easing fears over mad cow disease that had lasted more than a decade.

According to a report by the U.S. Meat Export Federation on Monday, Korea imported US$1.22 billion worth of American beef in 2017, making it the second largest importer after Japan with $1.89 billion. It accounts for 17 percent of overall U.S. beef exports.