An opposition party leader on Friday called for the government to demand that North Korea cancel its plan to hold a military parade next week on the eve of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in the South.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the minor opposition People's Party, also said the alliance with the United States is showing signs of a crisis, charging that the North is leading the government of President Moon Jae-in by the nose.

Such an attitude contrasts with the US position, he said. 

"US President Donald Trump talks about maximum pressure on North Korea and withdrew the designation of Victor Cha as ambassador to South Korea for opposing a 'bloody nose' strategy," Ahn said during a meeting of party leaders.

Cha, a top Korean-American security expert, had all but been officially nominated to be Trump's first ambassador to South Korea, with Washington asking for Seoul's diplomatic consent to his appointment last year. But his nomination was derailed at the last minute amid reports of differences over how to deal with North Korea.

Media reports have said China expressed opposition to the idea of the US undertaking a "preventive war" against the North, known as a "bloody nose" strike. Cha also objected to the US tearing up its free trade deal with the South, according to the reports.

Voices of opposition to North Korea's military parade are also growing, Ahn said.

"We have to demand a halt to the military parade," he said.

The North plans to hold the parade on Feb. 8 to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces. The armed forces anniversary had originally been on April 25, but the North changed it to February this year amid speculation the regime wants to take advantage of global attention on the Olympics to show off its military power.

In Washington, Under Secretary of State Steve Goldstein told a briefing that the US "would prefer that this parade not occur on Feb. 8," adding that he hopes the North will "join with all the nations of the world in celebrating the athletes."

"Our body certainly sends a signal before falling ill. If we fail to read the signal, we will end up in bed," Ahn, a medical doctor-turned-politician, said. "Signs of a crisis in the Korea-US alliance have been detected in various places, but the Moon Jae-in government is dismissing them just as noises."(Yonhap)