Disclosed is a direct-coupled washing machine and a control method thereof. The direct-coupled washing machine connects the rotation shaft of a switched reluctance washing motor to the rotation shafts of both a pulsator and a dehydration water tub. The direct-coupled washing machine has a pulsator which is mounted in the dehydration water tub which forwardly or reversely rotates in a washing procedure to thereby agitate the laundry. The washing machine includes: a washing motor which has a copper-core rotation shaft connected with the dehydration water tub and the pulsator, and generates rotational force; a reduction portion which reduces the speed of the rotational force generated by the washing motor by using a constant ratio; and a connection switching portion which is connected to the rotation shaft of the pulsator in a washing procedure by connecting the reduction portion to the rotation shaft of the washing motor, and is directly connected to the rotation shaft of the dehydration water tub in a dehydration step by not connecting the rotation shaft of the washing motor to the reduction portion.