The master of the hijacked very large crude carrier Samho Dream had pleaded for help for the crew. The South Korean VLCC was hijacked by Somali pirates five months ago while transiting the Indian Ocean. 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 weekend.