The floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party on Wednesday threatened to impeach the interior minister over the Itaewon crowd crush should the minister continue to refuse to voluntarily resign.

The DP has called on President Yoon Suk-yeol to fire Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, railroading a dismissal motion against Lee in December to hold him responsible for the Oct. 29 tragedy that has killed 159 people.

The presidential office said the motion, which is not legally binding, should be considered after probes into the Itaewon crowd crush are completed.

"It would be most desirable for him to voluntarily step down after the police and parliamentary probes are over, but if that does not happen, the next stage would inevitably be impeachment," DP floor leader Park Hong-keun said in a CBS radio interview.

Saying that the DP will consider "all possibilities," Park claimed that the people are questioning why Yoon has still not issued an official apology over the incident and why Lee remains in his post without taking responsibility.

The remarks came a day after Yoon told a Cabinet meeting that a reshuffle should be conducted depending on circumstances, not because the year has changed, ruling out speculation that a reshuffle of Cabinet members is pending.

Park also said that the DP will push for extending the parliamentary probe into the tragedy by at least 10 days even without the consent of the ruling People Power Party. (Yonhap)