It's not about overall education rankings. It's about educating the elite of a country so they can compete with other countries.
North Korea, China, Russia can educate enough of its people to build whatever the leaders decide. OK one can't build a Ballistic missile to hit the US. But they're working on it.
Asia tops biggest global school rankings - BBC News
Rankings based on maths and science, at age 15
1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. South Korea
4. Japan
4. Taiwan
6. Finland
7. Estonia
8. Switzerland
9. Netherlands
10. Canada
11. Poland
12. Vietnam
Science and maths ranking by country
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...nt_performance
The 10 smartest countries based on math and science - Business Insider
International Comparison of Math, Reading, and Science Skills Among 15-Year-Olds