North Korea’s state media reported on Thursday that North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho has embarked on a back-to-back trip to Singapore and Iran. 

The Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said a North Korean government delegation led by Ri left Pyongyang earlier in the day to visit the two countries. 

According to the KCNA, Ri will attend the ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting during his official visit to Singapore, indicating that he will have other schedules concerning bilateral relations between the North and the city-state. 

His planned attendance at the ARF foreign minsters’ meeting is drawing attention with regard to the possibility of his contacts with U.S. State Secretary Mike Pomeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha. 

The ARF is bringing together top diplomats and security policymakers from 27 countries to Singapore throughout this week, and its the only regional security gathering involving the North. 

There's also speculation that Ri's visit to Iran may be related to the standoff between the U.S. and Iran over Washington’s decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.