Thanks to marlene for sending in this tip. t bug at soshified forums translated a Sports Chosun article about Girls' Generation / SNSD and their recent comeback:

"We've become stronger during the break!" 9 member female group Girls' Generation / SNSD opened 2009 with a new album. They started to engage in active promotion of the mini album, 'Gee', after taking more than a 8 month break. The response they got was huge. In just 2 days after the initial release of the "Gee" Mp3, the song topped all kinds of online music charts. Not to mention 'crab leg dance' taking the top rank in search keyword rankings. Also people showed immense interest in the girls various outfits, such as the colored jeans shown in the M/V and performance stages. This kind of response is perhaps a well deserved compensation for their flawless preparation. SNSD said, "We prepared for a long time. As fans showed very high expectation, we were worried, but we are glad that our efforts have paid off well". The biggest asset acquired during the long break is improved teamwork. They were confident in saying, "our teamwork has improved even more as we shared a common goal. There are members who have practiced together for 10 years since their trainee days. SNSD's biggest weapon is definitly a strong teamwork". Before their comeback, the album cover was also a hot issue. It showed girls wearing rollerskates, which were popular in 80s. SNSD answered "we are not THAT young" in response to the question "have you ever tried on rollerskates before?". They added, "rollerskates were discountinued in production so we specially designed them. They are figure skating shoes with wheels attached instead".