(Adds prices, analyst comments)
By Song Jung-a
SEOUL, July 31 (Reuters) - South Korean stocks ended little changed on Thursday but Hyundai Motor Co rose on hopes of an early settlement of labour disputes.
Hyundai shares rose two percent to 35,200 won ($29.87) after the government said it might step in to end month-long partial strikes by unionised workers at the country's top auto maker.
"If the government decides to mediate between the union and the company, it is good news for Hyundai," Kim Hak-kyun, an analyst at GoodMorning Shinhan Securities.
The government is considering exercising its right to conduct emergency mediation, which would force the union to stop any industrial action for a 30-day cooling-off period.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) finished down 0.09 percent at 713.52.
Analysts said investors were bracing for key economic data from the United States.
"Both U.S. and our markets remain in the doldrums, as investors are awaiting second-quarter GDP data from the United States tonight," said Chu Hee-yeop, an analyst at Dongwon Securities.
State-run utility Korea Electric Power Corp (KEPCO) surged three percent to 18,850 won on foreign buying after the shares had been excluded from a recent market rally.
Grabbing the spotlight, SK Telecom Co rose 1.74 percent to 205,000 won after the country's top mobile carrier unveiled strong quarterly earnings.
SK Telecom posted a bigger-than-expected 18.9 percent rise in second-quarter profits, bolstered by subscriber growth and surging use of Internet and text messaging services.
But LG Electronics , the country's leading home appliance maker, shed 1.17 percent to 50,700 won as foreign investors took profits from a recent run-up.
South Korea said July consumer price index fell 0.1 percent month-on-month, dropping for a fourth consecutive month, but the news was generally ignored.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday he saw a "distinct possibility" of more multilateral talks this year with North Korea, China and perhaps others on ending Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. But analysts said his comments did not have a big impact on the market.
($1=1178.4 Won)