Jeju Island, South Korea, May 16, 2013 (AFP) - Griffin shot an eight-under-par 64, with just one bogey, to give him the lead over Korean veteran Kang Wook-soon, one shot behind.
Ten others were jostling for position at six under -- including China's Hu Mu, Australians Anthony Brown and Jason Norris, American David Oh and Michael Long of New Zealand.
Korea's Kim Do-hoon, runner-up at last week's GS Caltex Maekyung Open, was also at six under, along with countrymen Kang Kyung-nam, Jang Dong-kyu, Kim Jae-ho and Lee Sung-ho.
Playing the Jeju Island course back-to-front, Griffin started with a birdie and then put on a masterclass from the 15th to the second with six in-a-row.
He three-putted the fourth for a routine par and repeated the sin on the seventh for a bogey, but birdies on six and nine put him in charge of the tournament.
"For a while I had visions of Thailand," said Griffin, who finished the last round of the season-opening Thailand Open in April with eight birdies in-a-row for a career-low 64.
"I had a good go at eagle on the last today which would have given me a 63, but it wasn't to be," he said in a OneAsia press release.
Kang, 46, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour and two-time Order of Merit champion, has not lifted a title since 2009 and said his confidence had taken a blow after missing the cut at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open last week on a course he normally favours.
Defending champion Kim Bi-o posted a 68, one better than star attraction K.J. Choi, who jetted in straight from the United States after finishing joint 48th on Sunday at The Players Championship, a tournament he won in 2011.
"I'm adjusting to the jet lag better than expected, my condition feels great," said Choi. "I thought maybe two or three under would be a great round today, but the scores are even better."
The shot of the day belonged to American Jason Kang, who aced the 176-metre (193-yard) par three 17th to win a Jaguar XF 2.0P luxury four-door sedan worth 70 million won (around $65,000).
"None of us saw it go in," he said of his five-iron shot, finishing the day one under.
Top scores after round one of South Korea's SK Telecom Open:
64 - Matthew Griffin (AUS).
65 - Kang Wook-soon (KOR).
66 - Kang Kyung-nam (KOR), Kim Do-hoon 753 (KOR), Hu Mu (CHN), Anthony Brown (AUS), Michael Long (NZL), Jang Dong-kyu (KOR), Kim Jae-ho (KOR), David Oh (USA), Jason Norris (AUS), Lee Sung-ho (KOR).