We have shown that zinc dissolution is accelerated in relatively high concentrations of MgCl2 during the galvanic corrosion process consisting of zinc and carbon steel. In this study, in order to understand further the galvanic corrosion process of zinc and carbon steel in MgCl2, the cathode reaction on carbon steel was investigated in MgCl2 aqueous solution with and without Zn2+ which is generated during the galvanic corrosion process.The sample used for the experiment was carbon steel SS400 (Fe-0.12C-0.60Mn-0.011P-0.019S) machined to a shape of 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.3 cm3. One side of this sample was ground up to #2000 grit with SiC abrasive papers and then degreased and washed in acetone before use in the following experiments. The test solutions were mixtures of 0.25 M MgCl2 and x mM ZnCl2 (x = 2.5, 5 mM, Mg / Zn molar ratio: 100, 50) and they were used at room temperature under a naturally aerated condition. As reference solutions, the mixtures of 0.5 M NaCl and y mM ZnCl2 (x = 5, 10 mM, Na / Zn molar ratio: 100, 50) with the same Cl- concentration were used. The cathodic polarization curve measurements were done by a conventional three-electrode method with a platinum wire as a counter electrode and an Ag / AgCl electrode (saturated KCl, SSE) as a reference electrode. The potential sweep rate was 0.5 mV/sOn the cathodic polarization curves for carbon steel measured in an aqueous MgCl2 solution containing Zn2+, the diffusion-limiting current region due to the cathodic reduction reaction of dissolved oxygen (ORR) was observed from -0.6 V to -0.8 V, and the magnitude of the limiting currents were almost the same regardless of the Zn2+ concentration. Furthermore, the cathodic polarization curves showed that an increase in the current due to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurred in the MgCl2 solution without Zn2+. By comparison with the cathodic polarization curve measured in the NaCl solution without Zn2+ showed a diffusion-limiting current of ORR was comparable to that in the MgCl2 solution, but the overvoltage of HER was increased by about 0.1 V. These results indicated that in the MgCl2 solution, HER on carbon steel was enhanced more than that in NaCl aqueous solution.On the other hand, in the MgCl2 solutions containing Zn2+, a shoulder was observed in the cathode polarization curve at around -0.95 V, and the the current due to HER was decreased with increasing the Zn2+ concentration. It was shown that HER was suppressed in MgCl2 solutions by the presence of Zn2+. This may be attributed to the precipitation of zinc corrosion products formed during cathodic polarization.