In South Korea, the country most immediately threatened by North Korea, the long-running drama over the North’s nuclear aspirations has been eclipsed by a bitter dispute over imports of U.S. beef that has threatened the government of President Lee Myung-bak.

A day after North Korea demolished the most visible symbol of its nuclear programs, beef trumped bombs as Rice faced a barrage of questions about the safety of American steaks, chops and burgers after telling reporters she hoped the issue wouldn’t distract from other matters.

“I want to assure everyone that American beef is safe,” she told a news conference with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan. “We will continue to work with you to have consumer confidence in that matter. We want there to be consumer confidence in American beef.”

But Yu said the issue was unlikely to fade quickly.

“It will take time for that risk to be erased from the minds of the Korean public,” he said.

For many South Koreans, who have lived with threats from their communist neighbor for five decades, the nuclear issue is of less concern than Seoul’s agreement to lift a ban on American beef imports in April as a way to restore strained ties with Washington.

Activists have been staging daily rallies on the streets of the capital to voice fears about possible health risks such as mad cow disease. As officials began inspecting U.S. beef on Friday before it can reach markets, hundreds of labor activists blocked customs storage facilities.

A loud and angry group of about 15 sign-carrying protesters gathered outside the South Korean Foreign Ministry where Rice was meeting with Yu.

“Rice go home,” they chanted, waving placards, some of which read “Stop Rice and Mad Cow,” and “We Don’t Need U.S. Troops. We Don’t Need Mad Cows.”

A squad of black-clad police surrounded the demonstration, although it was tiny compared to earlier rallies that drew up to 80,000 people but have since dwindled.

Later Saturday, about 13,000 people, according to police, protested in central Seoul against imports of U.S. beef. Some clashed with riot police, who used water cannons and fire extinguishers to repel them. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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