Atomic reconstruction at the interface of MgZnO and ZnO in molecular beam epitaxy grown heterostructures is investigated. Using secondary ion mass spectroscopy, we experimentally find that Mg atomic reconstruction depends on the polarity of the interface; it is not observed in n-type interfaces (MgZnO on Zn-polar ZnO) owing to electron accumulation, while in p-type interfaces (ZnO on Zn-polar MgZnO), Mg drastically redistributes into the ZnO layer. Combined with self-consistent calculation of band profiles and carrier distributions, we reveal that the observed Mg reconstruction is not due to thermal diffusion but consequences in order to avoid hole accumulation. This tendency implies inherent significant asymmetry of energy scales of atomic and electronic reconstructions between n-type and p-type interfaces. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.