The captain of the Samho Dream is desperately pleading for help after five months of captivity at the hands of Somali pirates.

Captain Kim Sung-kyu told Yonhap News in a phone call that the 24-member crew with five Koreans and 19 Filipinos is living in sub-human conditions.

Kim said the abuses are getting worse as the pirates deprive them of sleep and food and threaten to kill them one by one if a ransom is not paid. He also expressed frustration towards the Samho Shipping Company's silence over the pirates' latest demands, which were issued last Saturday.

Samho has been saying for months that negotiations are ongoing while refusing to comment further as it could jeopardize the negotiations.