Even though Sony (NYSE: SNE), Paramount, Universal, Buena Vista and 20th Century Fox have all shuttered domestic operations in South Korea following years of sagging sales, Warner Bros. thinks it can reclaim some lost ground in the market by releasing films on demand two weeks before their DVD release. South Koreans are so accustomed to downloading films over peer-to-peer networks that it might be too little too late, but the studio is willing to give it a go before throwing in the towel it appears. Almost half of all people surveyed by the Korean Film Council said they’ve downloaded films online at least once, according to the company. Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, calls South Korea, with its broad base of tech-savvy consumers, the ideal market to try something new.

But is it the DVD format that South Koreans have been increasingly avoiding for years or is it the price being charged for the copyrighted material? DVD sales in the country have fallen to an estimated $285 million this year from $673 million in 2002, The Korea Times reported last month. If Warner Bros. can re-gain some of that business through on-demand services, it will be a success by any measure, but there’s a lot to suggest that South Koreans will shun prices charged by entertainment companies regardless of the format. Release.