RANCHO MIRAGE, California, April 5, 2013 (AFP) - Park, seeking to add a second major title to her resume, had a seven-under total of 137 for a one-shot lead over American Lizette Salas.
Salas carded a four-under 68 at Mission Hills and her total of 138 put her one stroke in front of Sweden's Caroline Hedwall (68) and Italian Giulia Sergas (59).
Park started the day two shots off the overnight lead shared by England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff, South Korean Na Yeon Choi and Norway's Suzann Pettersen.
Birdies at the third, fifth and ninth saw her take sole possession of the lead, and she put together a burst of three birdies in a row from the 11th before a bogey at 14 slowed her a bit.
"Obviously (I) putted really good out there, and especially on the back nine," said Park, who won the 2008 Women's US Open. "The wind picked up so it was tough out there on the back nine.
"I've played this golf course about eight years in my career and never really had a chance on the weekend, so I'm happy to be in the mix."
Salas was one-under for her round through nine, but made three birdies in five holes coming in to move within a stroke of Park.
She couldn't get any closer, however, finishing with three straight pars.
"It's something that I've kind of trained my mind in the last six months, playing solid golf and being in contention last week and the week before, so I'm just trying to get used to it as fast as I can," Salas said.
Ewart Shadoff was the lone member of the first round's leading trio who wasn't over par for the day.
She had two birdies and two bogeys in her even-par 72.
Choi endured a difficult day, her three birdies countered by four bogeys and a double-bogey six at the par-four sixth hole in a three-over 75
Petterson was also three-over for the day, with four bogeys and a birdie.
Defending champion Sun Young Yoo carded a 76 on Friday and missed the cut with a 36-hole total of 153.
American Stacy Lewis, playing her first major since taking over the world No. 1 ranking from Taiwan's Yani Tseng, carded a 71 for an even-par total of 144.
Tseng's 75 dropped her to a tie for 52nd on 147.
New Zealand teen Lydia Ko had three bogeys and one birdie in a 74 for 146.
Leading second-round scores here on Friday in the $2 million LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship (USA unless noted; a denotes amateur, par-72):
137 - Inbee Park (KOR) 70-67
138 - Lizette Salas 70-68
139 - Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 71-68, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 70-69
140 - Hee Young Park (KOR) 70-70, Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 71-69, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) 68-72
141 - Se Ri Pak (KOR) 72-69, Haeji Kang (KOR) 72-69, Jiyai Shin (KOR) 70-71, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 69-72
142 - Ai Miyazato (JPN) 74-68, Paula Creamer 74-68, Karine Icher (FRA) 72-70, Hee Kyung Seo (KOR) 72-70, Michelle Wie 72-70, Cristie Kerr 71-71, Jessica Korda 70-72, Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) 70-72, Amy Yang (KOR) 69-73
143 - Jennifer Johnson 72-71, Karrie Webb (AUS) 72-71, Jacqui Concolino 70-73, Caroline Masson (GER) 70-73, Jane Park 70-73, Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 68-75, Na Yeon Choi (KOR) 68-75
144 - So Yeon Ryu (KOR) 73-71, Stacy Lewis 73-71, Gerina Piller 73-71, Eun-Hee Ji (KOR) 73-71, Ayako Uehara (JPN) 72-72, Camilla Hedberg (ESP) 72-72, Sarah Jane Smith (AUS) 72-72, Angela Stanford 70-74