High-pressure torsion (HPT) processing was applied to cast pure Mg pieces and its effects on microstructure, hardness and tensile properties as well as corrosion resistance were evaluated. The microstructure of the processed samples was examined by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and the mechanical properties were determined by microhardness and tensile tests. Corrosion resistance of the samples was studied via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 3.5% NaCl solution. The results showed that HPT refined the grain size of Mg very effectively from millimeters in the cast structure to a few micrometers homogeneously through the thickness and created a basal texture on the surface. One or five turns of HPT produced no significant difference in the grain size of the processed Mg but the hardness was a maximum after one turn. The yield strength of the cast Mg was increased by seven times whereas the corrosion resistance was not affected by the HPT processing.