Girls' Generation [SM Entertainment]

Girls' Generation's first Japanese album has ranked in the top ten slots of Japan's prestigious Oricon weekly chart for 17 consecutive weeks, making it the longest time for a record by a Korean artist to stay on the chart.

Oricon's website reported the news on Tuesday after Girls' Generation's "GIRLS' GENERATION" ranked fifth on Oricon's chart for the week ending January 23.

The album, released in early June of last year, had placed within the top ten spots of the chart since the week of June 13 and to date, has sold 780,000 copies.

The record was formerly held by the original soundtrack to smash hit TV series "Winter Sonata" released in September 2003.

The album stayed in the top ten of Oricon's weekly chart for a total of 16 weeks and sold an accumulated 910,000 copies.

Girls' Generation, one of the most successful girl groups in Korea, expanded their career into Japan in September 2010 and since released several Japanese singles as well as holding their nationwide Japanese tour.

"GIRLS' GENERATION," the girls' first studio release in the country, was also Japan's fifth most-sold album last year, according to Oricon.

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