Effects of a nitriding treatment on the tensile and high cycle fatigue properties were investigated by conducting ion-nitriding and gas nitro-caburizing treatments on the spheroidized SCr430B medium-carbon steel and performing tensile and tension-tension high cycle fatigue tests. The nitrided samples showed much lower strength and ductility compared to those in the initial as-spheroidized state and premature fracture occurred at the hardened layers. The micro-voids in the compound layer caused fatigue crack initiation. Thus, the removal of the compound layer with micro-voids remarkably improved the fatigue resistance to even beyond that of the as-spheroidized sample.