A rare two-day pro wrestling event in North Korea ended Sunday without an appearance by the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, but Diet member Antonio Inoki, who co-hosted the extravaganza, said he was satisfied that it contributed to closer relations.

"My ideal is to realize world peace though sports exchanges," Inoki said after the exhibition in a gymnasium that was packed with about 15,000 North Koreans, many of whom had never before seen a pro wrestling match.

Jang Ung, a member of the International Olympic Committee and the North Korean co-organizer of the event, said it has "left us with an unforgettable memory, and contributed to international sports exchanges and strengthening of bonds (between the two countries)."