A magneto-optical recording medium including a recording layer for recording information and a substrate for supporting the recording layer is disclosed. The recording layer includes: a recording magnetic film for recording the information, the recording magnetic film being formed of a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy film; a readout magnetic film for optically reading out the information, the readout magnetic film being capable of being magnetically coupled with the recording magnetic film by an exchange-coupling force; and a controlling magnetic film, provided between the recording magnetic film and the readout magnetic film, for controlling the exchange-coupling force. The controlling magnetic film has in-plane magnetic anisotropy at room temperature, thereby suppressing the exchange-coupling force between the recording magnetic film and the readout magnetic film, and when the temperature of the controlling magnetic film reaches a predetermined temperature by a readout light irradiation, the controlling magnetic film stops the suppression of the exchange-coupling force, whereby the information recorded in the recording magnetic film is magnetically transferred to the readout magnetic film.