International SOS, a global employee safety management company, analyzed that the corporate environment ahead of 2026 is becoming increasingly complex with the combination of geopolitical instability, cyber threats, and health risks, and the speed at which organizations prepare to respond to these challenges is impacting corporate competitiveness.

On February 9th, International SOS released its annual report, "Global Risk Outlook 2026," which comprehensively assessed the key health, medical, and security risks facing companies and organizations worldwide. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the report outlines the evolving global risk landscape and outlines directions for strengthening organizational response capabilities and resilience.

According to the report, 57% of global leaders responded that new risks are emerging faster than existing management capabilities, and 74% perceived that time for making critical decisions is shrinking. Conversely, only 35% said their organizations could quickly mobilize in a crisis.

A gap was also identified between risk awareness and actual implementation. Eighty percent of respondents said that quickly detecting risks is a competitive advantage, but only 20% said they can quickly verify risk information. Additionally, 49% recognized that security risks and healthcare risks are increasingly interconnected, indicating a growing need for an integrated response.

The rise of uncertainty was also identified as a major issue. Sixty-six percent of responding companies reported a significant increase in uncertainty over the past year, with geopolitical instability (47%) cited as the biggest factor. Cybercrime followed, but only 14% identified misinformation and disinformation as a major risk.

In terms of technology utilization, a gap between expectations and reality was revealed. While interest in artificial intelligence (AI) is high, only 6% of organizations responded that they are actually using AI significantly for risk management. Furthermore, approximately 80% of security and healthcare professionals expressed concerns that related budgets will stagnate or decrease, potentially limiting response capabilities.

“In an age of uncertainty, resilience goes beyond simply responding to crises; it’s the core of corporate competitiveness,” said Kang Seung-koo, CEO of International SOS Korea. “We hope this report will serve as a reference for domestic companies to strengthen the safety and well-being of their employees and prepare for change.”

Meanwhile, International SOS also released a Global Risk Map, reflecting the latest global security and healthcare risks, alongside this report. Some countries, including Iran, Myanmar, and Niger, saw their security risk ratings raised due to geopolitical tensions, while Mongolia's was downgraded due to stabilization and improved disaster response capabilities. India's healthcare risk rating was revised to "medium," while South Korea maintained its "low" rating for both security and healthcare.

More information on the '2026 Global Risk Outlook' can be found on the International SOS website.